Amendments to the Tourist Establishments Act and Regulations
Now Closed
This online engagement was hosted on engageNL from September 2 to October 9, 2020. Below is a record of this engagement.
Overview
The Provincial Government is inviting individuals and stakeholders, particularly overnight short-term accommodation operators to share feedback on amendments to the Tourist Establishments Act and Regulations.
View the current Tourist Establishments Act, by clicking here
View the current Tourist Establishment Regulations, by clicking here
The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation is working closely with various government departments, and Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador, to address the growth of unlicensed overnight short-term accommodations in the province. The proposed amendments to the Tourist Establishments Act and Regulations represent a first step in a broader Government approach to meet the current realities of the tourism market and the industry, while ensuring the Provincial Government has a role in oversight for all overnight short-term accommodations throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.
The proposed changes to the legislation include:
Amending the definition of a tourism establishment, to be more in line with the modern range of available accommodations (including all short term accommodations);
Removing the mandatory requirement for Canada Select ratings;
Removal of Tourist Establishment Licences being issued to tourism operators by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation; and
Require all overnight short-term accommodations to register with the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation.
The proposed amendments are intended to ensure a level playing field for all accommodation businesses in the province’s tourism industry.
Get Involved
The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation intends to modernize the existing legislation with feedback from stakeholders. Some topic areas include:
Collecting and sharing of registration information with provincial government departments and municipalities to ensure fire and life safety standards;
Penalties for non-compliance with the Tourist Establishments Act and Regulations; and
Requiring operators of all overnight short-term accommodations to register with the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation.
Short-term accommodation rentals in Newfoundland and Labrador will be defined as overnight sleeping accommodations, not a primary residence, which generates nightly revenue from the travelling and vacationing public, for a rental period of less than 30 consecutive days. Including but not limited to:
every building, part of a building, group of buildings or place of accommodation that provides one or more residential units used mainly for the reception of the travelling or vacationing public, or
land maintained as grounds for camping or for overnight accommodation of tents, camping trailers or recreational vehicles, or
a cabin, lodge, tent camp or other premises erected or used for the purpose of catering to hunters and anglers, or
Your feedback will help inform the amendments to the Tourist Establishments Act and Regulations for all overnight short-term accommodations in the province.
The deadline to participate is October 9, 2020.
Online Questionnaire:
This questionnaire will be available until October 9, 2020.
It should take you approximately 15 minutes to complete this questionnaire.
The collection of information is done under the authority of section 61(c) of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, 2015 for the purpose of collecting public feedback on potential amendments to the Tourist Establishments Act and Regulations.
Any personal information that may be received will be governed in accordance with the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, 2015 and will only be used for informing the review of the Tourist Establishments Act and Regulations.
If you have any questions about how this information will be collected, used and disclosed, please contact the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation’s Access and Privacy Coordinator at [email protected] or (709) 729-7000.
Contact Us
If you require alternate format or have any questions or additional comments regarding this process, please contact Philip Sampson, Manager of Program and Policy Development, by email [email protected] or by phone (709) 729-2934.
