The Tourism Industry Association (TIA) of the Yukon is conducting globe-spanning research to assess the impact of COVID-19.

“You have to assess the situation before you can address the situation,” Blake Rogers, TIA’s executive director, told the Star this morning.

The organization called for information from the Yukon’s tourism sector on Monday afternoon, garnering about 40 responses as of this morning.

These included communications from hotels, airlines, museums, wilderness outfitters and First Nation operators.

TIA asked businesses to describe changes in booking patterns and their individual concerns as the summer season approaches.

Businesses were additionally asked to provide feedback on potential government measures to ease the burden on the industry.

The responses are helping TIA understand what tourism operators are currently experiencing in the wake of a world-wide recommendation to cease travel as COVID-19 spreads.

Rogers said he has additionally been in touch with tourism operators in Alaska, Italy, Asia, New Zealand, Iceland and across Canada.

Rogers called the risk assessment efforts “massive” to better equip TIA in supporting tourism operators.

Rogers also met with the business community and the territory’s ministers on Monday.

So far, Rogers has assessed that the situation is troubling, but not yet disastrous.

“It’s a difficult thing right now, I know there is a lot of fear out there,” Rogers said. 

“I would say that the issues out there are a concern, but not a cause for panic at this point.”

TIA is confident it will be able to support the industry “constructively and proactively,” he added. A board meeting was set for this afternoon, with plans to share more information with the public in the next day or so.

Rogers said the global outreach has helped TIA gain a wide understanding of proactive and reactive measures being instilled across the world. It’s challenging to get a steady snapshot when things are constantly changing, he said. 

“It’s very early days. We’ll be able to get those indications and trends, and potentially see canaries in the coal mine, and see how to address those.”

The shape-shifting nature of the issue requires that industry leaders be extremely proactive in their responses, he said.

He also noted that the risk the Yukon faces is different from regions in Europe, which see more cross-regional travel, frequent close contact and large sporting events. TIA is taking note of the policies and procedures being put in place, some of which Rogers says are unprecedented.

The main goal for TIA is to ensure that accurate information is spread across the territory and the tourism sector feels informed and supported.

Earlier today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced $1 billion in funding for a COVID-19 response (see coverage, p. 10).

Rogers said TIA applauds the federal government taking early action on the issue, which will help to ensure Canada doesn’t face the same kind of outbreak other countries are suffering.

Rogers said COVID-19 has proved how ubiquitous and far-reaching the tourism sector is to the global economy. 

“Tourism is the front line,” Rogers said. “It touches just about everything.”

He noted that tourism is a people-centred industry, and he has already seen the Yukon’s sector banding together.

“For now, that’s the big take-away that I have, the thing that leaves the glass half-full,” he said.

“It’s seeing that spirit and camaraderie in the industry.”