Communications Toolkit – Travel Restrictions

At 9:30 am on April 23, 2021, the Provincial Government announced that non-essential travel outside of one’s health authority with not be permitted.

Below is a tool kit for the Tourism industry, primarily related to the accommodation sector to provide the industry with a consistent message and some direction on how to proceed for the next 5 weeks.

In anticipation of this announcement, industry partners at Destination BC, Tourism Industry Association of BC,  BC Regional Tourism Secretariat, and Indigenous Tourism BC – have developed a communications toolkit for Accommodators and Tourism Operators to communicate these changes to guests, staff, and stakeholders.

The communications toolkit includes key messaging, a Q&A, and other resources to ensure the industry is better positioned to handle these restrictions.

While it seems counter-intuitive to support a travel ban, it critical for industry partners to accept the role of educating travellers to see domestic travel resume by summertime.

Kinds of Questions Answered in the Toolkit:

• What travel is restricted?
• Am I required to cancel or deny bookings?   
• How will the order be enforced?
• What should I say if I’m asked by someone if their plans or activities are allowed? 
• What is considered essential travel? 
• Are there any new restrictions on types of activities or where they can be done? 
• How do Tourism Operators handle refunds for cancellations?
• Are there financial supports to help Tourism Operators while these restrictions are in place?

Thank you for your continued resilience. Keep safe!