Fireworks, mountain biking competitions, art shows and outdoor music festivals are just a few of the events people can look forward to this summer and fall with support from B.C.’s Tourism Events Program.

“People love going to festivals, live music and sporting events that showcase our province’s creativity and talent,” said Lisa Beare, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture. “Co-ordinators and volunteers pour enormous amounts of time and energy into major events in their communities. The Tourism Events Program helps organizers get the word out to make sure their events get national and international attention, and that means more people can join in the fun and greater benefits for hosting communities.”

The Tourism Events Program supports marketing and promotion of art, music and sporting events in B.C., drawing visitors from other communities, provinces and abroad.

Applications for the Tourism Events Program are accepted twice yearly. This intake was open between Sept. 1 and Oct. 31, 2018.

From this round, government is investing nearly $1.6 million to support 30 events scheduled over the next 12 months. Examples include:

• Honda Celebration of Lights in Vancouver, the longest running offshore fireworks festival in the world. It welcomes more than 1.25 million attendees.
• Sunfest Country Music Festival in Lake Cowichan, a popular country music festival attracting thousands of music fans from Vancouver Island and elsewhere in B.C., as well as international visitors.
• Bass Coast Festival in Merritt, which is both a multi-day electronic music and art festival, set in the Nicola Valley.
• Crankworx Whistler, which brings together the best athletes in the mountain bike community to compete in a variety of elite competitions.
• The TransRockies Classic from Panorama to Fernie is a 500+kilometre, multi-day mountain bike ride that traverses the continental divide.

The next application window will open Sept. 1, 2019, for events taking place between May 1, 2020, and April 30, 2021.

Quick Facts:

• In 2018, the Government of British Columbia provided $2.3 million to support 45 events and festivals in B.C. communities through the Tourism Events Program.  
• Tourism is an important economic driver for B.C., generating more than $18.4 billion in revenue in 2017.
• In 2017, the industry contributed $9 billion in added value to the province’s gross domestic product. This is an increase of 6.6% over the previous year.
• In 2018, B.C. welcomed 6.1 million international visitors — an increase of 6.4% over 2017.

Learn More:

Interested groups can review the program criteria and application information online: https://bit.ly/2LGWH1Y

A backgrounder follows.