Prince George, BC – The provincial government has announced more than $1-million dollars in funding as part of this year’s Community Tourism Opportunities program, with $310-thousand dollars to be shared throughout the northern half of the province.

Now into its 5th year, the CTO program provides matching provincial dollars upon completion of eligible tourism marketing and development projects, such as tourist-related signage, event promotion, tourism brochures, and advertising campaigns.  The program is coordinated by the province’s six regional destination marketing organizations.

The Northern BC Tourism Association which covers Prince George, communities to the west like Prince Rupert, McBride in the east, and as far north as Fort Nelson, has received $164-thousand this summer.  While the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Tourism Association, covering communities like Barkerville-Wells, Bella Coola, and Williams Lake, has slightly more than $146-thousand to work with this tourism season.

Individual communities are eligible for up to $9200 under the program, and where clusters of communities have collaborated on a proposal, that dollar figure rises to $23-thousand.

Minister of Jobs, Tourism, and Innovation, Pat Bell, says, "When we launched our new Provincial Tourism Strategy last fall, we renewed our commitment to grow tourism in every region of British Columbia."

Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Tourism Association CEO, Amy Thacker, says the CTO program provides essential support to rural communities across the region.  "These infusions of matching monies allow communities of every size to advance projects and tactics that would not occur otherwise."