Work in the time of COVID-19
Photo by Moira Le Patourel
I have worked in the fields of tourism and recreation my whole life. I love playing and exploring in rivers, lakes, forests, and oceans. I have been a whitewater rafting guide in BC’s interior, a campground manager in Nanaimo, a hotel guest services agent in Victoria, and a server here in Campbell River at our first craft brewery. I’m so grateful for the owners and managers who lead by example, being part of the guest experience, and taking the time and energy to help me learn how dynamic and diverse this industry can be.
I chose to pursue an undergraduate degree in Recreation and Tourism Management at Vancouver Island University from 1998 -2002, then later a graduate degree in Sustainable Leisure Management over 18 months in 2011/2012. My experience and my education have led me to where I am today - an entrepreneur, and educator, and a private contractor within my field. In 2020, when BC was first learning about COVID-19, I was designing and teaching tourism and hospitality on the Sunshine Coast. The program was led by the Powell River Education Services Society as an alternative to traditional post-secondary for adult learners, and I was connected through my networks at VIU and earned the position by demonstrating a keen interest in fostering applied learning opportunities for people outside of traditional academic institutions. (What worked for me and my educational path - I loved learning at VIU - is not what works for everyone, we need more options, but that’s a whole other post.) We extended the program in June and kept students learning and engaged as the pandemic evolved and started to severely affect work opportunities within the field.
Seeing the visitor economy waver meant that some of my summer research projects with community partners up and down the island, so I transitioned from leading projects to joining the Vancouver Island Coastal Tourism Resiliency team as a Program Advisor. For the past ten months, I have been working one-on-one with tourism operators to support them throughout this ever-evolving pandemic. My role as a Program Advisor (PA) has allowed me to reconnect with people who are on the very front lines of an industry that was immediately impacted and continues to this day (and for some undetermined time in the future) to be the most severely affected sector. Through the Tourism Resiliency Program, my team and I have worked with over 400 businesses; personally I have been working with 45-50. I am humbled by so many of the operators that I work alongside as they navigate new government programs, respond to changing health orders, create plans A, B, and C for a 2021 season, market to locals, pause all marketing to everyone, apply for grants, apply for loans, apply for wage subsidies to keep their employees and help them pay their rent or mortgages. The challenges of COVID-19 have not been evenly distributed, even within the tourism industry. We’ve all read the stories of overcrowding in some resort communities, while other businesses never even opened their doors to one guest in 2020 - some businesses are posting their highest-ever revenues, some are crippling under debt. And through all of this, the leaders and champions and ambassadors of the tourism industry continue to demonstrate that they are willing to keep learning and keep adapting, so that they can earn a living and contribute to the communities in which they operate.
My thesis project for my Master’s degree was focussed on local tourism participation and its contribution to quality of life for residents here on Vancouver Island. 2020 saw many BC residents participating in local tourism - we relied on tourism operators right here on Vancouver Island to help us explore our own backyards. We flocked to the backcountry, we found new swimming holes, we biked and surfed and kayaked right here. Those places and spaces that we explored are the same places that local tourism operators rely on for their livelihoods. They are the ones who donate tours and stays to local fundraisers, they are the stewards of our natural environments, they are the ones who take courses in wilderness first aid and responsible marine operations, they are the ones who notice if a whale is lost from its pod or if a trail has fallen in to disrepair. The businesses that are owned and operated by residents of BC and that rely on a vibrant and biodiverse ecosystem are the businesses that I have been working with throughout the pandemic, and I am often in awe of their generosity and willingness to share their experiences with others, and help the entire industry find its way up from this devastating pandemic. The funding for Vancouver Island Coastal Tourism Resiliency Program comes from the federal and provincial governments, as well as right here from Island Coastal Economic Trust.
I know each industry and sector has its own stories of the humans within. I am sharing my experience from the past year as I hope it gives all of you a deeper understanding of the sector that I work in and am passionate about. I sincerely hope we can all experience the joy of playing in this beautiful place and I continue to advocate for responsible development of leisure, recreation, and tourism here on Vancouver Island and across the globe.
#ILoveWhereIlive
