Co-op Marketing

Canoeing in Raft Cove on Vancouver Island

Vancouver Island | Graeme Owsianski

The Destination BC Co-operative Marketing Partnerships Program (Co-op Program) is an application-based program that provides co-operative consumer-focused marketing and promotion support to Community Consortiums (three or more communities) and Provincial Tourism Product/Experience Sector organizations in British Columbia.

The program is designed to promote and facilitate deep collaboration. The Co-op Program encourages partnerships between sectors and communities to achieve common marketing goals and leverage funding to maximize marketing efforts.

*Note: The funding window for FY 2025/26 will close on November 15, 2024. Applications for the program are provided below. To apply using our online portal, please visit the portal website.

The Co-op Program enables Community Consortiums and Provincial Tourism Product/ Experience Sector Organizations that share common marketing goals to access private and public funds and achieve greater marketing impact and revenue.

The Co-op Program was developed in 2015 based on recommendations from a cross-section of tourism partners and Destination BC’s Tourism Marketing Committee — an industry-based advisory committee with representatives from all regions across BC. Input for the program was also provided by participants from over 20 community consultation sessions across the province.

Over the past 10 years, Destination BC’s Co-op program has experienced continuous growth and evolution, nurtured our strategic partnerships and fostered collaborative efforts in the tourism industry.

Invest resources into marketing that supports responsible, short-haul visitation in more seasons, and/or more areas of the province.

Create deep collaboration to enhance BC’s global competitiveness and support necessary capabilities such as a strong provincial tourism brand (Super, Natural British ColumbiaⓇ), shared data and content, responsible travel, and industry digital readiness.

Drive industry collaboration, align industry marketing efforts to provincial and regional strategies, and to connect industry to the provincial brand, building brand equity through all provincially funded marketing initiatives.

Support Destination BC’s Corporate Strategy and provincial priorities to grow industry success as well as social, cultural, environmental, and economic benefits for all people living in British Columbia.

Leverage private and public funds to maximize marketing impact.

Encourage and educate visitors through Visitor Education Marketing with the aim to minimize any adverse impacts on communities.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS:

Eligible applicants to the program include:

Community Consortiums (clusters) comprised of three (3) or more eligible communities. A community is defined as a geographic area with a DMO, or where a DMO does not exist, a municipal or village council, Chamber, Indigenous community, or regional district.
Province-wide Sector associations or societies with representation of province-wide (where it exists) experiential, market-ready tourism product. Sectors must represent the majority of market-ready businesses, product that is a motivating experience for travel, and be provincial in scope.
For further information, please see the Eligible Applicants section in the Program Guidelines

This is a cost-shared program: Community Consortiums (made up of three or more communities) or Sectors are eligible to apply for up to a 50% matching contribution from Destination BC. Funding requests must be for a minimum of $30,000 to a maximum of $250,000.S (see Program Guidelines for more information).

Eligible activities may include:
- Digital Readiness
- Brand-aligned Photography and Video Creation
- Content Marketing Activities
- Social Media
- Paid Advertising
- Print/Online Collateral
- Market Research and Data Acquisition
- Consumer Shows
- Travel Medial Relations Activities
- Inclusive Marketing Strategy
- Visitor Education Marketing
- Project Lead/Primary Contact, Project Coordination, and/or Project Execution Management Fees

All applications will be collectively reviewed and evaluated based on merit, based on the following four criteria categories:

Increased Benefits of Tourism in BC
Building Brand-Aligned Content and a Shared Content Ecosystem
Strength of the Marketing Plan
Resources to Execute Program Effectively

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

View questions commonly asked about our Co-op Marketing Partnerships Program here.

Destination BC

Official Websites

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Co-op Marketing

Co-op Program Goals

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Download Our Program Guidelines

Apply Using the Online Portal

Download the Program Application Form (Sector)

Download the Program Application Form (Community Consortium)

View the Co-op Program FAQs

Who received funding in 2024/2025?

Destination BC

Official Websites