Tourism Sector Restart Step 3 Toolkit
With British Columbians achieving nearly 80% adult Dose 1 vaccine coverage and COVID-19 case counts continuing to decline, the Province is safely moving to Step 3 of its four-step restart plan on July 1, 2021.
Moving to Step 3 will signal the end of the provincial state of emergency in BC’s history. BC’s public health emergency will remain in effect during Step 3, with reduced requirements.
Moving from Step 2 to Step 3 includes:
- return to normal for indoor and outdoor personal gatherings;
- maximum capacity for indoor organized gatherings of 50 people or up to 50% of a venue’s total capacity, whichever is greater;
- maximum capacity for outdoor organized gatherings of 5,000 people or up to 50% of a venue’s total capacity, whichever is greater;
- return to normal for fairs, festivals and trade shows, with communicable disease plans;
- return to Canada-wide recreational travel;
- reopening of casinos, with reduced capacity and ~50% of gaming stations permitted to open;
- reopening of nightclubs, with up to 10 people seated at tables, no socializing between tables and no dancing;
- return to normal hours for liquor service at restaurants, bars and pubs with table limits to be determined by venue and no socializing between tables;
- return to normal for sports and exercise facilities, with communicable disease plans; and
- mask wearing recommended in indoor public spaces for all people 12 and older who are not yet fully vaccinated.
The Province of BC, TIABC, ITBC, and DBC have prepared an updated version of the BC Restart Toolkit for tourism operators, with messaging to encourage British Columbians and Canadians to #exploreBCnow.
This toolkit is designed as a guide for operators for Step 3, which starts July 1 and will run until at least September 7.
The toolkit includes:
- Summary of current guidelines
- Links to help operators with recruiting and training staff
- Information on topics such as the evolution of mask use from a requirement to
recommendations, and changes to capacity restrictions for events and festivals - Information on the marketing campaigns to help restart the visitor economy, and how to participate
