NDP Would Re-Establish Tourism BC
Prince George, BC – The BC New Democrats are promising to restore Tourism BC, if elected in next spring’s election.
The original Tourism BC model was an industry-led, formula-funded provincial tourism marketer. It was eliminated as an independent agency back in August 2009 – a decision, the NDP says, created chaos at a time when BC needed to capitalize on the marketing opportunity present by the 2010 Winter Olympics, just six months away.
Since then, NDP Leader Adrian Dix says BC has strugged to market itself effectively. "In 2010, the Liberal government said they would double tourism revenue by 2015, yet revenues are only just returning to pre-Olympic levels and there are still fewer tourism jobs than in 2008."
Between 2008 and 2010, international overnight visitors to BC dropped from 4.5-million to 4.2-million. "Stable, formula-based funding will ensure the industry is not at the mercy of annual budget decisions," says tourism critic, Spencer Chandra Herbert. "We need to put the tourism industry in charge of its own destiny and reverse the damaging drop in tourism visitors, revenues and related employment."
The Founding Chair of the Council of Tourism Associations, Don Monsour, says it’s good news to see the NDP proposing a model that emulates the successful original model. "Legislated formula funding and industry leadership are desperately needed in this incredibly competitive marketplace."
Comments
Marketting is important, no question about it, but I don’t think it is the whole picture.
I think a lot of the drop is from a high Canadian dollar and the economic meltdown. People that are about to lose their house, just don’t take vacations…
It would seem that tourism was down throughout North America during that same period.
Here’s a link to what’s going on in Ontario.
http://www.mtc.gov.on.ca/en/research/forecasts/forecast.pdf
It looks like Ontario has felt it even worse from 2008-2010…
Gas prices are the highest in Canada why would anyone want to come to BC and be taxed to death.
Of course tourism dropped after 2008… thats when the economic downturn took place. I would imagine visitors everywhere dropped as people stayed closer to home.
To go along with puppies and kittens for everyone? Oh golly gee it will be a fun time to be progressive. I can hardly wait to quit my job and travel Canada on the taxpayers nickel.
yup all the feel good BS is starting already… sigh. Go NDP… Shut down forestry, mining and construction and then make up for it with a few tourists sitting in a Walmart parking lot. Sweet!
Tourism is an important part of the provinces income generation, but it’s a small part. People used to travel BC from all over the states when gas was cheap and our dollar even cheaper for them. I agree with the above posters who say people aren’t going to travel when they’ve lost their job, home, or are struggling to keep one or both. Tourism will not save BC. It’s a small part of a large trend. I know I don’t take as many road trips anymore because of gas costs and my shrinking dollar.
HST-Carbon Tax-highest gas prices in Canada-and they wonder why tourists avoid BC?? They say BC means “bring cash”…..
The HST had nothing to do with it. Look at the worldwide economic collapse and the strength of the Canadian Dollar.
Interceptor has it right, it looks like the NDP is going to compensate for the restriction of industry and loss of jobs with an ineffective tourism solution. Bad idea.
Keep putting the BC Ferry fares up and you will see even less tourists.
Oh oh… Is reality starting to sink in?
Tourism? PG? Hmmm? Sorry. Just eat here and get gas.
This should read, “The NDP wants to spend money we don’t have.
I don’t think it should be an industry lead model. We have great parks in this provinces that get undercut and discounted by the industry lead model. We need a model that promotes BC for all its greatness.
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