Tourism Business Enhancement

Revitalizing Your Tourism or Hospitality Business in a COVID World

This free program, delivered online, has been designed to help people in the tourism, hospitality and recreation sector whose livelihood has been disrupted by COVID-19. Whether you’re a business owner who has seen a dramatic drop in business (or has been forced to shut down completely), or a manager or supervisor facing shifting logistics challenges, this program can help by giving you the tools and knowledge needed to navigate the new COVID landscape.

While the program is designed primarily for business owners, managers and supervisors, we will also consider applications from frontline workers under certain conditions:

Employees who have been laid off or are working reduced hours and are looking to acquire the skills to either move into a management position or establish their own tourism, hospitality or recreation business are welcome to apply.
Additionally, employees who are sent by their employer (to build capacity in that employee so that they can be retained at the company) will also be considered.

People wearing face masks and checking into a hotel

Childcare Support

To make the program accessible to as many people as possible, a $1,000 reimbursement for childcare will be available to successful applicants to the program.

Program Overview

This is a free five program that runs from March 8 to April 8 (with additional time for one-on-one coaching). It equips you with knowledge and tools to help you understand and respond to the new reality of the COVID-impacted tourism and hospitality landscape. As the program has been created to help you pivot quickly, it has been designed specifically to reflect current real-world scenarios and examine the ways your business can respond. To this end, you must come to the program with a challenge your organization is now facing due to COVID-19. Access to any company documentation, such as business plans, marketing plans or similar planning or process documents would be ideal, as the program will focus primarily on helping you rethink these plans to effectively respond to the current reality. To streamline the eventual implementation of these plans, the program is being delivered in an accelerated format and is broken down into three essential action areas: Assess, Pivot and Implement.

Assess
The first portion of the program helps you understand the current business environment and your business’ position within that environment. The instructor will also explore what research tools are available, and how to analyze any data you uncover. Primary and secondary research will be conducted to help you better evaluate the changed business landscape, which in turn will inform your new business plan.
Pivot
The second part of the program focuses on developing a new business strategy, developing realistic Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and creating new business, marketing or operational plans which will lay the groundwork for a quick yet successful pivot. New product development and design, how to forge partnerships and build personal networks in a COVID world will also be covered.
Implement
The third key area the program explores is how to harness the tools, knowledge and processes that can help you put your new plan into action. These include (but are not limited to) digital marketing, COVID-compliance services and expectations as well as how to manage workplace change. In addition, projects are submitted and presented during this portion of the program.

A couple looking at a map while riding a double decker bus

One-on-One Coaching

After you have completed the training program, you will have five hours of one-on-one coaching sessions to assist you in putting your ideas into action as you launch new, COVID-compliant operations or reposition yourself within the industry. The coaching sessions will be with an industry professional, whose connections and insights can help steer you in the right direction and maximize your potential for success.

Delivered by Capilano University Tourism & Hospitality Faculty

The instructors for the program are Francisco Nogueira and Kara Walker, both from Capilano University’s School of Tourism Management. They bring a combination of strong academic theory and real-world insight to the classroom. They will deliver the lectures live through an online format. In addition, the program will feature guest speakers from the tourism and hospitality industry.

Francisco Nogueria PhD, M.Sc., BBA.

Instructor Francisco Nogueria

As a business and Marketing Manager, Francisco has balanced budgets, helped launch new products and increased sales for dozens of startups in Brazil. With a strong academic and professional background, Francisco is also an expert at researching both in qualitative and quantitative methods. Even better, he can take that research and deliver actionable recommendations. A natural and enthusiastic leader, he has helped hundreds of students find their career goals.

Kara Walker, MA, Tourism & Project Management, B.Sc.

Instructor Kara Walker

A devoted educator with proven experience in the tourism and event sectors, Kara was the Events and Membership Manager of the North Vancouver Chamber from 2016 to 2018. Kara also held project and event management roles with the Surrey 2016 WBSC XV World Women’s Softball Championship, Whistler Sport Legacies, the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and Whistler Blackcomb. The depth of industry experience and Kara’s ability to assist students from education to implementation, will really help you launch your ideas.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of the program, you will be able to:

Describe the current COVID landscape and understand its implications for the Tourism & Hospitality sector
Assess current market conditions and identify potential new opportunities
Develop business, marketing and operational plans to navigate the COVID landscape
Identify the skillsets, processes and tools required to implement your plan
Apply research models that inform current business and personal reality
Explore new roles and positions within the industry, as you will have developed a broader skillset that will remain relevant even after the pandemic is over

Joeys restaurant and Seaside hotel

Details at a Glance

Tuition is free for all participants who are accepted into the program.
Delivered entirely online (All lectures, discussions, group activities and assignments are designed for an online format. You will need access to a computer with a high-speed internet connection, equipped with camera and microphone).
$1,000 reimbursement available to applicants accepted into the program to cover childcare (from a registered childcare provider), if required.
Start and End Date: Mon., March 8 – Thu., April 8 (followed by five hours of one-on-one coaching with an industry professional. Coaching is by appointment and is available from April 13 - 23).
Daily breakdown: Monday through Thursday; Mornings, 9 am – noon (you must be available for the live discussions and lectures). Afternoons are for project work and readings. Fridays are devoted to project work.
Led by Capilano University instructors, with guest lectures and discussions with industry professionals.

Quay market place

Eligibility Requirements

To participate in this program, you must meet the following criteria at the time of training (March 8 – April 8):

You must have been impacted by COVID-19 in the sense that you are (or were) working in the tourism, hospitality and recreation industry and are now unemployed or precariously employed (part-time, seasonal or casual), or employed but at risk of losing a job.
If you are self-employed, you must be able to demonstrate how you have been negatively impacted by COVID-19.
Must currently be working less than 30 hours per week.
Be a Canadian citizen; or a permanent resident; or protected person entitled to work in Canada.
Reside in BC.
Have a valid SIN number.
Must not be enrolled in any other federally or provincially funded training programs at start of the program.
Must not have exceeded federal funding amount (applicable only if you have participated in any other Community Workforce Response Grant (CWRG)-funded training projects in the last 12 months.).
If you are in receipt of Employment Insurance (EI) benefits or Income Assistance (IA), you must obtain approval from the appropriate entity before starting training (you don’t need approval to apply, but will need it by the time the program starts on March 8.).
Must be comfortable using computers and learning in an online environment.

Registration

Admission is on a first-come, first-served basis, so be sure to apply as soon as you can

To begin the registration process, simply fill out and submit this online application form.

Once the form is submitted, we will review it to verify that you meet the eligibility criteria. If you are selected for admission, we’ll let you know you have been admitted to the program. Then we will invite you to complete a Personal Information Form (PIF) on the Government of British Columbia website as an ‘acceptance of offer’. Please note that all application forms must be received no later than Friday, March 5.