ItB次元官网网址檚 been three long years since the provincial government abolished Tourism B.C., the Crown corporation that oversaw tourism marketing for the $13-billion industry.
The decision, coming just six months before the 2010 Winter Olympics, perplexed many in the tourism industry, who knew that the Games offered an unprecedented opportunity to sell the province as a world-class destination.
Last week, Premier Christy Clark remedied that blunder by creating Destination B.C., a revamped Crown corporation dedicated to tourism marketing.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 an opportunity to get back to where we were; an effective marketing machine as a province,B次元官网网址� said Robert Gialloreto, Tourism Victoria president and CEO.
Among the potential benefits of the move, he sees opportunities to expand marketing in China, as Greater Victoria already has a strong brand presence there.
B次元官网网址淲e have a great working relationship with (Ministry of Tourism) reps in China, and they do great work for us,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淲e want to make sure our market presence there is maintained.B次元官网网址�
Destination B.C. is the result of a 15-month consultation with the Tourism Industry Association of B.C., which represents the 18,000 tourism businesses across the province.
Lana Denoni, association chair and Victoria businesswoman, said the new corporation has a degree of transparency and accountability that didnB次元官网网址檛 exist under the old Tourism B.C. model.
B次元官网网址淭he ease of communication with an organization outside of government is certainly much quicker,B次元官网网址� she said.
The board of directors will consist of four industry representatives and five business experts from each of the six tourism regions in the province.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e very pleased, and I think the industry is very pleased,B次元官网网址� she said.
Destination B.C. will take over marketing operations on April 1, 2013, the same day the provincial sales tax comes back into effect.
For the first year, funding will come from the Ministry of Tourism, after which funding will come from the existing hotel sales tax.
Gialloreto said the new model will B次元官网网址渙nly be as good as the people who populate it,B次元官网网址� and the most important decision will come when the board chooses a CEO.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 hopeful to see better regular communication back and forth (with government),B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚t (previously) wasnB次元官网网址檛 as good as weB次元官网网址檇 all have liked to have seen it.B次元官网网址�
Gialloreto hopes Destination B.C. will begin to leverage dollars by creating joint marketing campaigns with regional associations like Tourism Victoria.
B次元官网网址淲e only have so many dollars. The challenge with Victoria is we have so many different components to what makes this city. We have to choose carefully (keeping in mind) what matters to each market.B次元官网网址�
dpalmer@vicnews.com
