The Salmon Arm Roots & Blues Festival kicks off its 25th year this week, thanks in part to $60,900 in funding from the provincial government through the Tourism Events Program.

Welcoming music fans from around the globe to British Columbia, the festival is expected to bring over 25,000 fans to Salmon Arm over the seven-day period from Aug. 17-20. This “destination” festival draws a diverse group of music lovers ranging from blues to bluegrass, Celtic to Cuban, and Americana to Afro-beat. With 70% of the attendees from outside the Shuswap area, the music festival is the anchor event of the region and is predicted to have an economic impact between $4.9 and $5.5 million.

The Tourism Events Program supports events that raise awareness nationally and internationally of British Columbia’s tourism experiences and motivate Canadians and people from other countries to travel and experience British Columbia. These events generate tourism and economic activity in communities and regions throughout the province.

Quotes:

Lisa Beare, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture –

“The Salmon Arm Roots & Blues Festival will be a memorable week in the Shuswap area full of great music and entertainment. The event has a high tourism impact, and I know that visitors will be impressed with the hospitality and natural beauty of our province. Our government‘s investment in this event will help boost the local economy, creating jobs and prosperity for the local citizens.”

David Gonella, executive director, Salmon Arm Roots & Blues Festival –

“The 25th Annual Salmon Arm Roots & Blues Festival is proud to have the opportunity to showcase Canadian and international performers over the last two decades. To help in this pursuit, the support we have received through the Tourism Event Program is paramount to the success of the event. In addition to bringing great energy to the Shuswap area, sustaining and expanding the reach of the festival to new audiences will help Canadian talent grow and gain market recognition. I look forward to another great year!”

Quick Facts:

• The Province invests more than $100 million annually in the tourism industry across every region to grow and market the sector.
• In May 2017, there were 23,317 more visitors to the province over the same month in 2016 - a 4.6% 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 revenue with a direct contribution to B.C.’s gross domestic product of $7.4 billion.

Learn More:

For more information about the Salmon Arm Roots & Blues Festival: http://www.rootsandblues.ca/

To learn more about the Tourism Events Program:
http://www.destinationbc.ca/BC-Tourism-Industry/Municipal-and-Regional-District-Tax-Program/Tourism-Events-Program.aspx