TIABC Voice of Tourism Newsletter – May 2, 2025

Every so often I watch an HGTV show called Rock Solid Builds. It features a company called Newfound Builders that renovates or constructs homes, barns, gazebos and other projects in Canada’s easternmost province. While I get a kick out of the show’s characters, I’m most drawn to the scenery of Newfoundland and Labrador. To see how different it is from where I live helps me to appreciate the vastness and magnificence of Canada.

Newfoundland and Labrador is the only province I have not visited in my six-plus decades on this earth. However, that’s about to change as I head to St. John’s next week to meet with some of my federal, provincial and territorial tourism industry association (PTTIA) counterparts to further develop policy and strategize on our approach to working with the new government now that the dust has settled after Monday’s election and a new cabinet is imminent. There is unfinished business to tackle at the federal level including issues like post-graduate work permits, secured funding for Destination Canada, an overhaul of aviation sector policy, the impact of tariffs, and so much more.

But closer to home, before departing on Wednesday, I need to put the finishing touches on a submission to the Premier’s Task Force on Trade and Economic Security that contains a long list of issues that require the Province’s attention. For your interest, I’ve cherry-picked some of the recommendations by sector to give you a sense of what’s needed in order for our industry to become the leading business sector in British Columbia. In no particular order:

– Introduce sector-specific visa categories that prioritize tourism and hospitality workers to address peak-season labour demands and sustain businesses that create year-round career jobs.
Improve current infrastructure (e.g. highways, regional airports, ferry terminals) that connects communities, as well as develop new and unique tourism infrastructure, especially projects that link tourism with other sectors.
– Increase annual funding from $11 million to $20 million for the BC Air Access Program to ensure all regions of the province can benefit from aviation-supported, high-value tourism.
-Provide access to crown lands and long-term tenure security to create business certainty and generate additional investment.
-Provide incentives for private operators for the electrification of their businesses.
-Include tourism leaders and elected officials in international trade missions organized by the Province of British Columbia.
-Increase Destination British Columbia’s annual budget to allow DBC to effectively compete in the international marketplace, execute on its mandate, and keep pace with the rate of inflation which has risen by a cumulative 20% since 2019.
-Update Agricultural Land Reserve regulations to support a wide range of agri-tourism activities currently hampered by local and provincial restrictions.
-Secure annual funding for execution of regional tourism emergency management plans.
-A firm commitment by the Ministries of Water, Land & Resource Stewardship, as well as Environment (BC Parks) to issue long-term tenures and permits (standard of 30 years or more) commensurate with the level of investment, and with clear and unambiguous mid-term replacement language.
-Revise the current outdated markup model for craft brewers to reflect today’s economic realities.
-Fast-track regulatory work to permit sales of cannabis products at public events to capitalize on a new tourism market.
-Revise regulations on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) until there is sufficient supply to allow for a voluntary opt-in option from 2026 to 2028 with an annual review period to assess market conditions.
-Convey positive messaging by politicians to welcome Americans and international visitors to British Columbia and to stop asking residents not to travel to the United States to avoid any retaliation.
-Amend the sick-day eligibility requirements for seasonal employees to increase the probation period from three to six months to avoid abuse of the system and curtail employer expenses.
-Increase provincial campsite fees by $5 dollar per night and also include an annual increase tied to the rate of inflation (such as the Parks Canada model), and consider directing the additional revenues to park maintenance and infrastructure improvements.
-Fund Indigenous-led trail initiatives and collaborate on tourism opportunities that honour Indigenous stewardship and cultural heritage.
-Designate the short-term rental regulations, including the registry, non-applicable to mountain resort communities under certain conditions.
-Provide businesses with support to relocate or adapt operations when tenure cancellations are unavoidable.
-Establish a structured, transparent dialogue between wilderness tourism operators, First Nations and the Province to create long-term, sustainable land use agreements.
-Develop and fund initiatives that help operators adapt to climate change impacts, including wildfire mitigation strategies and infrastructure support.
-Include adventure tourism in the development of forest planning and practices regulations so that commercial and non-commercial recreation are planned and managed on the landscape.
-Create a regulatory review process specific to golf developments on ALR lands and streamline approval processes for course renovations and expansions.

I am mindful that it’s not all on government to resolve every issue we face but given these uncertain times, the aforementioned recommendations require the Province’s attention to allow the tourism industry to lead British Columbia in job growth, entrepreneurship, and economic prosperity for businesses in every region.

In the short time I have in Newfoundland, it’s doubtful I’ll run across Randy, Nikki, Scott or Paul from Rock Solid Builds, who are all based in Brigus, which is some 80 kilometres away from St. John’s. Nonetheless, I’m looking forward to building a rock-solid advocacy plan with my PTTIA colleagues and seeing Newfoundland in the flesh for the first time to gain even more appreciation for this amazing country I am privileged to call home.

Walt Judas

CEO, TIABC