Dear Industry Partner,Since the pandemic began, TIANS has been working diligently to secure provincial and federal supports for the Tourism Industry. The TIANS/Ministerial Stabilization and Recovery Working Group has been focused on a series of pillars of support as part of this work and today, the Provincial Government announced a Tourism Recovery Activation Program valued at $18 Million. The three elements of the program will support tourism businesses across the province, including many who have been ineligible for prior funding supports. DETAILS HERE. Accommodation operators will have access to a grant based on room numbers. The program will encourage packaging, season extension, and provide flexibility to operators who are HST registered businesses and those registered in TARA. TIANS pushed for this to support those smaller operators that have been left out of past programs. This injection of liquidity will greatly support cash reserves for accommodation providers all over all Nova Scotia. There is no revenue loss threshold and the government has committed to swift approval process. As part of the program, the Province is committing an incremental investment of $3 Million in marketing for Tourism Nova Scotia campaigns in Ontario/Quebec for this year. According to Destination Canada, the best opportunity for economic growth is to leverage the domestic market in Canada. In 2019, $28 billion was spent by Canadians outside of Canada; the latest research indicates Canadians want to explore at home this year, in particular destinations with quality outdoor experiences. The TIANS Travel and Incentive Committee has focused on this as a key priority to ensure we can compete for the domestic market. The program will also provide a $5000 Tourism Business Re-opening Grant and will not penalize those who were not specifically mandated to close. For accommodation businesses, this will include small operators but they must be HST registered and registered on TARA. Those operators who previously have been ineligible will have access to this fund. TIANS has strongly pushed for this as it has been a major area of concern for the sectors who could not access general re-opening grant. ALSO announced today, by Premier Rankin, Nova Scotia is lifting its border restrictions and opening to the rest of Atlantic Canada on June 23, and on track for rest of Canada by no later than July 14. VIEW MEDIA RELEASE The TIANS Board and staff have worked hard on your behalf to get these programs in place. The infusion of liquidity into Nova Scotia’s hardest hit industry is a crucial first step towards getting every main street across the province moving again. This is a positive announcement by government, but we know there is still significant work ahead. We are pushing for consistent Maritime guidelines for the travel trade which is crucial for selling packages, extending CEWS and CERS to the end of December and championing other issues that will enable a robust rebuild of the Industry. As details on the Tourism Recovery Activation Program are released, we will share them on Tourism Strong and our social channels to ensure you have the most efficient access to these important supports. We continue to be here for you. Please contact our helpdesk for any assistance you may need at 902.423.4480 or [email protected]. Your TIANS TEAM |