Parliament Hill is seen last summer at the height of tourist season. Canada’s tourism industry is worried about the ill-effects COVID-19 might have this summer. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press)

Concerns grow over COVID-19 effect on tourism and small businesses

The Bank of Canada is not the only institution concerned about the ill-effects of COVID-19.

Fears are being voiced about the effect COVID-19 will have–and is already having–on Canadian business, especially tourism.

CP’s Laura Osman reports that the tourism industry is bracing for the impact  COVID-19 will have on the number of foreign visitors during this summer’s travel season.

“Bookings are down from China by about 70 per cent between March and October, so that’s obviously quite considerable,” Maya Lange, vice-president of global marketing with Destination BC, told Osman

Statistics Canada data shows some 571,000 tourists visited Canada from China last year, but Osman reports that several Canadian tourism marketing agencies have now pulled their ad money from China and are doubling down on efforts to attract visitors from other markets, including the U.S. and the U.K.

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce is urging businesses, especially small ones, to develop contigency plans to deal with COVID-19. (Katerina Georgieva/CBC)

Meanwhile, the CBC’s Laura Glowacki reports that the Canadian Chamber of Commerce has published a guide to help companies, especially smaller ones, get ready for the possible spread of COVID-19 across Canada.

Among other things, the guide recommends businesses consider steps such as taking out a line of credit, or enabling telecommunicating, should employees not be able to come to work.

“Small businesses are so focused on day-to-day activities that most of them don’t have business continuity plans, so we want to help them with that,” the chamber’s chief executive officer, Perrin Beatty, told Glowacki.

The guide also gives advice on what to do if supply chains or staffing is significantly disrupted.

With files from CP (Laura Osman) and CBC (Laura Glowacki)

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