Monthly Highlights
- During FIFA, BCHA engaged in proactive communications to address incorrect claims about limited hotel availability.
- For the first time ever, BCHA provided three recommendations to the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services through a pre-budget submission.
- BCHA will meet with Post-Secondary and Future Skills Minister Jessie Sunner on June 30 to address growing concerns around immigration constraints and cuts to hospitality education programs.
- With the Spring legislative session now concluded, political attention shifts to a new political dynamic marked by the election of Conservative leader, Kerry-Lynne Findlay, and early polling momentum for her party
This month’s update reflects the important work we continue to do to advocate on your behalf.
In each case, the BC Hotel Association monitored and acted on several files, advanced direct engagement with decision-makers, provided follow-up information, and clarified next steps as the spring session concluded.
As always, this report outlines both the advocacy undertaken on behalf of the sector and the broader political and fiscal environment in which that work is advancing.
BCHA Presentation to Business Leaders and Investors
BC Business House is the British Columbia government’s main business and investment initiative during the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Vancouver. Located at the Vancouver Convention Centre and operating throughout the tournament, it serves as a venue for international business leaders, investors, and government delegations to connect with B.C. companies and explore opportunities in sectors such as tourism, technology and natural resources.
On June 12, Paul Hawes provided an overview of the investment opportunities available in BC’s hospitality sector to over 125 assembled guests at BC Business House.
The event focused on showcasing investment opportunities in tourism with the province emphasizing its goal of doubling tourism revenues to $48 billion annually by 2036. To help strengthen tourism investment attraction across the province, the government has produced several resources:
A dedicated Tourism Investment Webpage on the Trade & Invest BC site
A new BC Tourism Investment Lookbook, featuring 19 investment-ready opportunities across the province
The Tourism Investment Attraction Guidance for Communities, developed to support local efforts to identify, position, and promote investment-ready tourism projects.
Evaluating the FIFA World Cup
Vancouver once again proved to be a world-class host as soccer fans from around the globe converged on British Columbia to watch their home countries battle for the FIFA World Cup.
It is exciting to see visitors enjoy everything our province has to offer and to once again see the beauty of Vancouver through the eyes of visitors who are now more likely to return in the future.
During FIFA, much of the hospitality sector has enjoyed a welcome boost as bars and restaurants were filled with patrons who enjoyed the food, drink, and first-class service that we always offer.
Unfortunately, as we stated in previous reports, hotel room bookings have been down over last year.
As we publicly commented last month, when the story becomes that a city has no rooms left, some leisure travellers, tour operators, meeting planners, and business travellers look elsewhere. Unfortunately, that perception can reduce the very demand the event is meant to support.
In partnership with Hotels Canada and the Ontario Restaurant Hotel and Motel Association, we plan to conduct a thorough analysis of the impact of the FIFA World Cup on Canada’s hospitality sector and the valuable lessons learned for planning and marketing major events in the future.
Pre-Budget Submission
In preparation for the next provincial budget to be released in February 2027, the BCHA submitted a presentation to the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services.
The presentation made three key recommendations to the committee that are aligned with the priorities that members have identified that are critical to the sector’s long-term success.
Our first recommendation is to provide stable and enhanced funding to Destination BC, including a minimum additional annual investment of $10 million.
Tourism is one of British Columbia’s largest export industries, generating jobs, economic activity, and tax revenue in communities throughout the province.
As competition for visitors intensifies among provinces, U.S. states, and international destinations, British Columbia must maintain a strong presence in key tourism markets. Stable funding enables long-term planning, sustained marketing efforts, and the flexibility to respond to changing travel patterns and emerging opportunities.
Our second recommendation is to reinstate and fund the Emergency Management Booking Portal.
British Columbia is experiencing increasingly frequent and severe emergencies, including wildfires, floods, and extreme weather events, which can displace thousands of residents and visitors with little notice. In these situations, quickly identifying and securing available accommodation is a critical component of an effective emergency response.
The portal represents a practical and cost-effective investment in public safety. Rather than creating a new system, the province can build on a proven platform that leverages existing accommodation infrastructure and technology.
Our third recommendation is to adopt and fund a new labour and immigration framework.
The BC tourism and hospitality sector remains disappointed that BC has chosen not to opt into the broader expansion of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program which would raise the cap to 15 per cent and provide further workforce relief to hotel and tourism operators in the short to mid-term.
The province also announced the closure of the Entry Level and Semi-Skilled Stream of the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). The program had provided a pathway to permanent residency for workers employed in eligible occupations within the tourism and food processing sectors.
The closure of this stream will have a disproportionate impact on rural and remote tourism operators, many of whom continue to experience chronic labour shortages and difficulty recruiting domestic workers.
The BCHA and Counsel Public Affairs will continue to aggressively advocate for changes needed to ensure the current and long-term viability of the hotel sector.
Meeting with Minister Sunner
On June 30, BCHA President and CEO Paul Hawes, along with several BC hoteliers will meet with the Hon. Jessie Sunner, Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills.
This meeting will give the BCHA the opportunity to outline concerns we have discussed in previous reports on the impact of immigration policies and cuts to post-secondary hospitality programs that will have a profound negative impact on the ability of our industry to attract and retain skilled workers.
Sunner, a first-term MLA who represents Surrey-Newton, is a key decision maker on both files.
We will report on the outcome of this meeting in next month’s report.
PROVINCIAL POLITICAL LANDSCAPE
Legislative Session and Political Tone
The BC Legislative Session wrapped up on Thursday May 28, with MLAs returning to Victoria on October 5.
Opposition Dynamics and Conservative Leadership Race
BC Conservatives chose former federal Conservative MP and cabinet minister Kerry-Lynne Findlay as their new leader on May 30.
Findlay, or KLF as she is commonly referred to, defeated Caroline Elliott on the fourth and final ballot, securing 4,696.5 points to Elliott’s 4,514.5 under the party’s equal riding-weighted voting system. A total of 4,605.5 points were required for victory
Before entering federal politics under former Prime Minister Stephen Harper, she practised law with a focus on labour, employment, and mediation. During her time in Ottawa, Findlay served a briefly as Associate Minister of National Defence and as Minister of National Revenue.
Conservatives Enjoying Momentum
Following her win, three public domain polls have been released, all of which have the BC Conservatives either tied or leading the governing the BC New Democrats.
Research Co. reports a dead heat with the BC NDP and Conservatives tied at 42 per cent with the BC Green Party in third place with nine per cent of the vote.
Leger gives the BC Conservatives a four-point lead with the Conservatives at 45 per cent, the BC NDP at 41 per cent and the Greens at eight per cent.
Angus Reid gives the Conservatives an 11-point lead with the BC Conservatives at 47 per cent, the BC NDP at 36 per cent, and the BC Greens at 13 per cent.
Too Early to Draw Conclusions
While the Conservatives enjoy momentum, it is too early to draw any long-term conclusions from these surveys.
Political parties typically receive a positive bump following a leadership race that can recede if they do not take full advantage of their success.
The Angus Reid poll indicates that the new BC Conservative leader is largely unknown, but perhaps more concerning for them is that those claiming to have a negative impression of KLF outnumber those with a positive impression by 2 to 1.
We are still more than two years away from the next scheduled provincial election slated for the fall of 2028.
Regardless, the Conservatives have wind in their sails, and the BC NDP government is facing the most significant and sustained political challenge since forming government in 2017.
What is Next?
The governing New Democrats, following a difficult session involving controversy surrounding the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act and an unpopular budget, will have to reset their focus on the economy and affordability issues such as housing and the resource economy where BC has seen some early signs of success.
The BCHA and Counsel Public Affairs will monitor and assess the current political climate and what matters to you.