On October 21, the Department of Finance announced the establishment of the Tourism and Hospitality Recovery Program (THRP), which would provide wage and rent subsidies to businesses in the tourism and hospitality sector, including festivals.
Recognizing that the policy objective of the THRP aligned with that of the platform commitment to create a program to match ticket sales for performing arts, live theatres, and other cultural venues, the Department approached the Department of Finance to consider expanding program eligibility of the THRP to include a wider cross-section of the cultural sector.
On November 23, the Department of Finance announced the eligibility details of the Tourism and Hospitality Recovery ProgramFootnote 1. THRP eligibility is broadly inclusive of stakeholders in cultural sector – including those operating venues – that are served by programs under the authority of PCH and the Portfolio. The organizations eligible for support include those:
“Organizing, promoting, hosting, supporting, or participating in events that meet the artistic or cultural interests of their patrons, including live performances or exhibits intended for public viewing.
Preserving and exhibiting objects, sites and natural wonders of historical, cultural or educational value, such as the operation of a museum, a historic and heritage site, a zoo, a botanical garden, or a nature park.
Operating or managing a facility that is primarily engaged in exhibiting motion pictures, such as a cinema, or a drive-in theatre.
Organizing, planning, promoting, hosting or supporting:
conventions, trade shows or festivals; or
promoting the interests of the members of an industry organization or association, if the members are primarily engaged in activities described above.”
Eligible organizations will be required to meet the following two conditions to qualify for this program:
An average monthly revenue reduction of at least 40 percent over the first 13 qualifying periods for the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (12-month revenue decline); and
A current-month revenue loss of at least 40 percent.
The THRP will consider an organization’s total losses across all revenue categories as a trigger for support from the THRP.
This is a positive feature of the THRP that should benefit those organizations in the cultural sector for whom ticket sales is a less important feature of their overall revenue mix (such as museums, and cultural venues that depend heavily on rental income derived by community users) but are nevertheless experiencing significant declines in income.
Businesses that do not qualify under the THRP but are still facing significant losses may be eligible for the Hardest-Hit Business Recovery Program (wage and rent subsidies), provided they meet the following two eligibility requirements:
An average monthly revenue reduction of at least 50 percent over the first 13 qualifying periods for the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (12-month revenue decline); and
A current-month revenue loss of at least 50 percent.
