The Province is investing $175,000 to support marketing of the Sunshine Coast as a tourism destination, announced Todd Stone, MLA for Kamloops-South Thompson, on behalf of Shirley Bond, Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Minister Responsible for Labour.

The investment is made through Destination BC’s Co-op Marketing Partnerships Program and will support a number of projects on the Sunshine Coast to draw more visitors and contribute to the local economy. Strengthening marketing strategies will leverage various events such as the BC Bike Race, Sunshine Music Festival, Lund Shellfish Festival and other outdoor adventures unique to the Sunshine Coast.

The funding will be delivered in partnership with:

• the municipalities of Gibsons, Sechelt and Powell River;
• the regional districts of the Sunshine Coast and Powell River; and
• the Squamish, shíshálh, Klahoose and Tla’ami First Nations Groups.

The plan is designed to promote the entire Sunshine Coast region and the groups will use the money to generate tourism revenue by strengthening marketing plans and working toward leveraging the Super, Natural British Columbia brand.

Tourism is one of B.C.’s largest industries, a key sector of the BC Jobs Plan, and a significant job creator. The province enjoys a competitive tourism advantage, thanks to diverse and scenic landscapes, world-class tourism products, excellent infrastructure, rich culture and geographic accessibility to visitors.

Destination BC is the Province’s Crown agency for tourism marketing and is helping deliver on key actions under the provincial tourism strategy, Gaining the Edge: 2015-2018. They are an industry-led Crown corporation that works collaboratively with tourism stakeholders throughout the province to co-ordinate marketing at the international, provincial, regional and local levels.

Quotes:

Todd Stone, MLA for Kamloops-South Thompson –

“The Sunshine Coast already has a great reputation as a tourism destination, but through Destination BC’s Co-op Marketing Partnership Program, we can really leverage and highlight existing programs, bringing more visitors, driving the local tourism sector and creating jobs for families.”

Marsha Walden, CEO, Destination BC –

“We created the Co-op Marketing Partnerships Program to help amplify the marketing strategies that local communities develop and to strengthen alignment with provincial marketing efforts. Together, we can create the scale we need to compete effectively. With the Sunshine Coast welcoming more visitors every year, in all seasons, the region is buzzing with activity. That’s the powerful thing about tourism — the benefits touch so many different types of businesses from restaurants, to transportation, to wilderness adventures, to retail shops. The whole region can benefit from this co-op marketing investment. In fact, across B.C., tourism currently generates the highest GDP of any natural resource industry.”

Quick Facts:

• The Province invests over $98 million annually in the tourism industry across every region to grow and market the sector.
• The latest tourism statistics show that in January 2017, there were close to 23,427 more visitors to the province over January 2016 – representing a 9.2% increase.
• In 2016, 5.5 million international visitors came to B.C. - a 12.3% increase compared to 2015.
• In 2015, the tourism industry generated $15.7 billion in revenues, $7.4 billion in GDP, and supported nearly 19,000 tourism-related businesses, with 127,700 employed in the industry.

Learn More:

Destination BC’s Co-op Marketing Partnerships Program:
www.destinationbc.ca/Programs/Regions-Communities-and-Sectors/Destination-BC-Co-op-Marketing-Partnership-Program.aspx

BC Jobs Plan: http://engage.gov.bc.ca/bcjobsplan/economy/tourism/

B.C. Provincial Tourism Strategy, Gaining the Edge:
www.jtst.gov.bc.ca/tourismstrategy/documents/GainingTheEdge_2015_2018.pdf