Destination BC Provides $4 million for Collaborative Tourism Marketing Initiatives in Communities Across the Province

VANCOUVER – Destination BC is providing $4 million to support 57 tourism projects across British Columbia this year through its Co-operative Marketing Partnerships Program, to increase collaboration and alignment of marketing activities across the province.

Destination BC’s budget for the 2019/20 program is $4 million, with nearly $5 million in matching dollars that the industry brings to the program for community and sector co-op marketing initiatives. The program enables communities and sector organizations, who share common interests and marketing goals, to align with provincial tourism priorities, maximize funding and marketing impact, and raise BC tourism revenues. Funding will be dispersed to communities and sector groups across all regions of the province, and includes support for marketing tourism destinations and key activities such as golf, mountain biking, wine touring, backcountry lodges, camping and RV, and fishing and ocean boating.

Marketing programs will focus on attracting visitors from local markets such as BC, Alberta, and Washington State and include advertising, the development of video and photography assets, social media programs, market research, and consumer show attendance. For example, the BC Ale Trail is a marketing campaign that brings together 29 communities to showcase British Columbia as a global destination for craft beer enthusiasts and beer tourists. In 2018/19, co-op funding supported the BC Ale Trail in marketing about 200 craft breweries across BC including two new ale trails, and four updated ale trails. Through this funding they were able to create two new videos and add more than 600 new photos to their database to support destination marketing organizations and their breweries with marketing efforts.

Another great example is Fishing BC, a unique marketing partnership between the BC Fishing Resort Outfitters (BCFROA), the Sports Fishing Institute (SFI) and the Freshwater Fisheries Society (FFS) formed with the common desire to showcase the variety of saltwater and freshwater fishing options, and to encourage more anglers to fish in BC. Through the Co-operative Marketing Partnerships Program, 2019/20 funding will support video creation, print publications, television advertising, email marketing and social media. Messaging will align to promote fishing destinations that are currently underutilized to disperse angling efforts and visitation to BC. Fishing BC stakeholders are found in every corner of the province and the visitation driven by the joint marketing investments are an important economic driver to rural, coastal, and First Nations communities across BC.

Tourism is an integral part of BC’s economy, bringing jobs and opportunities to communities across British Columbia. In 2017, the tourism industry employed over 137,800 people with $4.9 billion in wages. Over a 10-year period, tourism contributed $9 billion to the BC economy – more than any other primary resource industry, such as mining, and oil and gas.

• See backgrounder for list of community and sector participants.
• Visit https://www.destinationbc.ca/what-we-do/funding-sources/co-op-marketing/ to learn more about the program and application guidelines.

Quotes:

Lisa Beare, Minister for Tourism, Arts & Culture

“British Columbia has so many unique and beautiful areas for visitors to experience. We want to make sure visitors know all that they can see and do in our province, along with supporting tourism businesses who showcase all that British Columbia holds. With the Co-operative Marketing Partnerships Program we are investing in tourism’s continued growth to make sure tourism operators and businesses throughout the province will benefit from tourism in all seasons.”

Marsha Walden, CEO, Destination BC

“Tourism destinations are in an increasingly ferocious global competition for travellers. BC is elevating its marketing impact through collaboration. This funding harnesses the collective power of tourism champions in towns, cities, and regions, connecting local networks and sectors with a common purpose. Together, we are positioning British Columbia as a must-see destination, and our industry is a leading source of growth in BC’s economy.”

About Destination BC:

Destination BC is an industry-led provincially-funded Crown corporation that works collaboratively with tourism stakeholders across the province to coordinate marketing at the international, provincial, regional and local levels. For more information about Destination BC’s programs and services, please visit:  www.DestinationBC.ca

Media Contact:

Destination BC, Media Relations

Email: Media.Relations@DestinationBC.ca