In a press release distributed on Friday, January 14 by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport, it was announced that eligible accommodation providers and tourism operators will now have access to grants to alleviate fixed cost pressures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

As much as $15 million will be provided through the Tourism Accommodation and Commercial
Recreation Relief Fund through three streams:

• one for B.C.-owned large accommodation providers employing more than 150 people;
• the second for Indigenous-owned large accommodation properties employing more than 100 people and located on reserve;
• and the third for tenure and BC Parks permit holders that operate as tourism businesses.

The Tourism Accommodation and Commercial Recreation Relief grants will help offset fixed costs for eligible large accommodation operators with property taxes, hydro fees for Indigenous-owned accommodation or assistance for tourism businesses operating on Crown land and in BC Parks with tenure and park permit fees incurred in 2021.

Quick Facts:

• Eligible large accommodation providers can receive up to 25% of property taxes up to a maximum of $500,000 in stream one;
• In stream two, eligible Indigenous-owned large accommodation providers on reserve can receive 100% of BC Hydro fees, up to maximum of $200,000. Large accommodation providers include hotels, motels, resorts and lodges, including strata hotels.
• Eligible commercial recreation businesses can receive 100% of eligible tenure or park-use permits under stream three, to a maximum of $200,000.
• Tourism businesses with tenures under the Land Act or permits under the Park Act, include businesses such as wildlife viewing, fishing, hunting, mountaineering, horseback riding, off-road vehicle touring, whitewater rafting and heli-skiing; small destination resorts such as guest ranches or ecotourism lodges; campgrounds and outdoor recreation parks that offer activities such as waterslides and ziplines.

Application Timeline:

• Intake will open at 9:00 am January 17, 2022 and will close at 11:59 pm February 14, 2022. Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted.

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​Full Information and Eligibility:

• How the fund works
• Stream 1: Property tax relief for large accommodation providers
• Stream 2: BC Hydro cost relief for Indigenous-owned large accommodation providers operating on reserve
• Stream 3: Relief of fees for rent under Land Act Tenures or Park Use Permits for tourism-based commercial recreation operators
• Funding decisions and payment
• I need help

Message of Thanks:
The entire BCHA team and Board of Directors would like to acknowledge Hon. Melanie Mark, Minister of Tourism, Art, Culture, & Sport, for her incredible leadership, hard-work, and commitment to our accommodation sector. The efforts demonstrated by Minister Mark and her entire team have made the Tourism Accommodation and Commercial Recreation Relief Fund a reality. We encourage operators who will benefit from this support to reshare this message of thanks via twitter:

• The Tourism Accommodation and Commercial Recreation Relief Fund will offer critical support needed to protect BC’s large accommodators which are among the #HardestHit. Thank you @melaniejmark and the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture & Sport for making this funding possible.

We would also like to thank our industry partners who have worked hand-in-hand to support this funding and their commitment to protecting our provincial accommodation community. And finally, we extend our deepest thanks to you, our members, who have continuously shared your stories and have been instrumental in informing our advocacy work.

Our accommodation sector has suffered years of devastating losses and this funding will help alleviate some hardship for our large accommodation providers. While this funding does not involve all accommodators within BC, it has been built upon previous supports such as the Small and Medium Sized Business Recovery Grant.

As always, we will continue our work to ensure that each of your businesses and employees are protected and that our entire industry is well-positioned for recovery.