Tourism P.G. Seeks Regional District Support on Renewing Hotel Room Tax
Prince George, B.C.- Tourism Prince George is seeking support from the Regional District of Fraser Fort George, to have the hotel tax in Prince George renewed for another 5 years.
The 2% tax which is added to hotel bills in this city, represents about 75% of the annual budget for Tourism Prince George. Last year, the tax generated about $740 thousand dollars. The City of Prince George has already approved the renewal request.
Tourism Prince George CEO Erica Hummel says the money raised through the tax has grown each year “We have seen an increase of 27% total, since we started the tax in 2010, but on average, every year, it has grown by 6.5 to 7%”
She says the growth is a combination of factors, of increased room rates, and higher occupancy rates.
The current five year contract for the 2% tax will expire at the end of the year. Renewing the tax for another five would see the tax back in place in time for the Canada Winter Games “It’s a huge year for us, not only with the Canada Winter Games, but there’s the City’s Centennial, the University will turn 25, so there’s lots happening in Prince George” says Hummel. “The momentum is as high as it will ever be I think for pride, and visitation, and it’s a huge opportunity for us to leverage that.”
While she has no estimate on what the hotel room tax is expected to generate next year, she says her budget has been developed with a 7% increase in mind.
As for concerns about the tax, she says it is pretty much accepted by travelers “I don’t think the consumer, the visitor is unaccustomed to it, I think it’s quite common.”
Hummel expects the City to develop its bylaw on the tax renewal early next month, and submit it to the Province with final approval expected in December.
Comments
sounds like they are going to make sure they can also cash in on the winter games visitors.
I think its a good little tax, it keeps them tourists out of the area so we can keep all the fishing spots to ourselves.
This hotel tax is bogus. Firstly all hotels in BC charge an 8% Hotel Tax, and this 2% is an add on allowed to Municipalities who are approved by the BC Government. The money is supposed to be used for attracting more tourist to the area.
Sooo. When you look at the number of people who come to Prince George from the outlying area’s such as MacKenzie, Vanderhoof, McBride, etc; Etc;. weekly or biweekly to shop in Prince George one would have to conclude that they pay a large portion of this tax.
In other words we are once again gouging our best customers.
If this tax was assessed on people who lived outside say a 400 Kilometer area, then I would not be concerned, because we would in fact be assessing the tax on mostly real tourists.
As it now stands, the tax is being assessed on shoppers, people who accompany those who go to the hospital, cancer clinic, etc; business people who come to town, etc; etc;.
In other words a **bogus** tax as I stated above.
The Regional District should knock this tax out of the ball park.
$740,000.00 is money that could be going into local business’s and contribute to their bottom line, rather than to an overblown tourist bureau, who spend it on wages, salaries, benefits, and National/International glitzy advertising.
You’re like a broken record, Palopu. Once again, your personal definition of a tourist is irrelevant.
If your position is that Tourism PG shouldn’t exist, then just state that.
Until then, it does exist and needs to be funded somehow. The accepted model for funding these tourism bureaus is nothing new, and PG was certainly not the first to do it.
Maybe TPG just needs a re-name, like Weekender PG, or Overnighter PG.
;)
There’s nothing wrong with this tax, and absolutely they should be taking advantage of the Canada Games. Tourism PG is a necessary entity, and they’ve produced some great changes the past few years. I think they’re doing a pretty great job with a relatively low budget.
I will try to explain things a little more clearly so those who seem to be challenged by anything outside the proverbial box, like JohnnyBelt can understand.
1. Most of the people attending the Winter Games will come from outside the 400 Kilometre area I spoke about. 3000 of them will be participants, their managers, and their significant others. So they will pay the hotel tax. So will all the outside dignitaries, TV People etc; etc; . I don’t have a problem with them paying the tax,. They will be onetime visitors, and we will probably never see them again.
2. All the Hotel rooms in the greater Prince George area have now been booked for the Winter Games, and these rooms will not be available for those people who would normally come to town to shop. So retailers are going to lose this business for two weeks.
3. I agree that Tourism PG is probably necessary, however I don’t agree that they should be paid for by a 2% Hotel tax that applies to people in the greater PG area. These people are basically forced to come to Prince George to purchase goods, go to the Hospital, attend various functions, etc; etc;. They should not be compelled to foot the bill for the PG Tourism .
4. Prior to the application of this 2% tax 5 years ago, the PG Tourism Bureau was basically funded by PG Taxpayers, and the Provincial Government. This is as it should be, with a percentage of the cost paid for by the Regional District.
5. People who come to town 26-52 times a year on a consistent basis should not be the ones that pay the major portion of the costs to run Tourism PG.
6. This tax was implemented so that this City could reduce the amount of funding it provided to Tourism PG, and use the money saved to finance some other **goofy** project.
7. If we were to go the Vanderhoof, McBride, Valemount, Ft St James, or any other town in the outlying areas, guess what?? We would not pay the 2% Hotel tax. It only applies on people staying in Hotels, Motels, Cottages, and other covered places, in the City of Prince George. So I guess whats good for the Goose is not in this case, good for the Gander.
8. I somehow feel that this issue is somewhat too complex for JohnnyBelt to grasp, however one can always hope.
ad hominem attacks and put downs don’t make your point any more valid, Palopu.
Once again, you are stuck on your personal definition of what a tourist is. And again I say, “I don’t care”.
contentious contrarian
The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people “traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes”
By this definition, palopu is correct in his definition. I would suggest that palopu’s range would be considered to be within their usual environment. Surely you do not restrict yourself within the municipal border.
Loki: “By this definition, palopu is correct in his definition.”
Nope. You might want to read it again. But nice try in playing cheerleader.
Here’s a thread to help you along, Loki. Pay special attention to gus’s posts in this thread.
blog/view/32957/1/encouraging+signs+on+tourism+in+p.g.
Awesome, rather than accepting a globally recognized industry organization’s definition, you would rather get your support from a news site commenter with a penchant for verbal diarrhea.
Goes to show your intellectual/emotional maturity.
Enjoy your rose colored world. It’s about as real and valid as all your comments.
@Loki: You appear to be no better than Palopu with your put downs.
Commenting 101: When someone attacks the poster rather than addressing the point, you can tell they’ve got nothing.
holy low self-esteem.
I normally try a positive approach, but when I feel heat coming my way, I respond in kind.
I am always open to self-improvement, where would I find this commenting 101 course so that I may be aware of theses guidelines.
JohnnyBelt. Why is it so hard for you to admit that you are wrong.???
The only advice I can give to you is for you to look up the BC Hotel tax on the BC Government website, and it will explain to you how they assess the 8% Provincially and the 2% to approved Cities.
You can then try to understand why you do not pay the 2% in towns like Smithers, Terrace, Kitimat, Burns Lake, but you do pay it in Prince George.
You can then try and convince us that it is a fair tax when it is being assessed to the same small group of people over an extended period of time.
It is not the responsibility of people living in the outlying areas to be paying a 2% hotel tax, that is not applicable to other people and areas of North Central BC.
Palopu: “JohnnyBelt. Why is it so hard for you to admit that you are wrong.??? “
Why do you feel that you’re right all the time?
A tax is a tax is a tax. Whether you call it a ‘destination marketing fee’ or ‘tourism levy’, it is still a tax. Just about every hotel has one. I travel quite a bit and see these fees everywhere.
Loki: “I am always open to self-improvement, where would I find this commenting 101 course so that I may be aware of theses guidelines.”
If you haven’t figured it out by now, there’s not much I can do to help you.
Palopu: “It is not the responsibility of people living in the outlying areas to be paying a 2% hotel tax”
… in your opinion. And that’s all it is.
Loki: “Goes to show your intellectual/emotional maturity.”
“holy low self-esteem.”
Are you some sort of amateur psychologist?
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