| VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA - November 25, 1999 - The Hospitality Industry
Standing Committee on Indoor Air Quality today criticized as �absolute
fiction� a Canadian Press report last week which stated that the Victoria-area
smoking ban has not injured the hospitality business in that city.
Citing misleading use of statistics, the Hospitality Group said the
report �missed the facts�.
The report said liquor sales were up in Victoria-area pubs, restaurants
and hotels. Hospitality Committee spokesperson, Vance Campbell said the
news report �made the kind of statistical errors that gets people flunked
from Statistics 101�.
He added, �The report ignored the fact that during the first two winter
months, when tourism is usually at its lowest, the LeonardoDa Vinci exhibit
brought roughly 140,000 new out-of-town visitors (the exhibit brought in
a total of 416,600 visitors over 5 months). It was the biggest new tourism
draw in Victoria since theCommonwealth Games.�
�Importantly, of the 140,000 out-of-town visitors approximately 81,000
cited that the only or main reason for going to Victoria was to see the
exhibit. It is estimated that these visitors spent $38 million in the South
Vancouver Island region between January 1 to March 6 which are usually
the two lowest months for tourism and business in the hospitality industry.�
Given this massive influx in tourism, one would expect sales to be up
dramatically. The economic reality of the smoking ban in Victoria, as measured
by beer keg sales to the leading liquor licensees, is as follows:
-
In the 27 liquor establishments that have banned smoking, keg sales were
DOWN 13.22%.
-
In the 7 establishments with outdoor smoking patios, keg sales were DOWN
8.1%.
-
In the 29 establishments that still allow smoking, keg sales were DOWN
0.1%.
Marie DeCaire, Secretary Treasurer of the Hotel, Restaurant, Culinary Workers
and Bartenders Union Local 40 added, �the only way that the CRD is able
to claim any degree of compliance has been through use of bullying and
scare tactics.� She continued, �this is the same government that chased
a single mom and banged down her door in the middle of the night. It is
the same government that has hauled out a kitchen worker in handcuffs because
he had the audacity to smoke a cigarette in public. It is the same government
that sent threatening letters to an 86 year only lady stating that she
has been snitched on for smoking in public. It is only through coercion
and a repugnant show of forcethat they can claim any success with this
smoking ban.�
The Hospitality Committee represents nine tourism, business and labour
organizations with over 150,000 employees. |
