Four local groups are eligible to receive funding for projects to help grow tourism, announced the B.C. government Wednesday.
The funding comes from the province's Community Tourism Opportunities program administered by the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Tourism Association.
Local communities receiving CTO funding include:
• Cariboo Regional District — $12,00 for accessible trail kiosks; $4,000 for visitor information; and $7,000 for art route
• South Cariboo — $15,000 for visitors guide; $1,500 for a slideshow; and $5,000 for a website.
• West Chilcotin — $3,100 for collateral and distribution; $2,500 for web and social media; and $3,600 for consumer shows.
• Williams Lake — $5,000 for an online marketing campaign; $2,500 for a billboard; and $1,000 for travel writing.
The government says tourism is one of the key economic sectors identified in Canada Starts Here: The BC Jobs Plan.
"Our world-famous Stampede is just the tip of the iceberg here in the Cariboo-Chilcotin," says Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Donna Barnett. "There’s so much to do and see — I really hope this helps bring ‘round some new faces.”
The CTO program is administered by the province’s six regional destination marketing organizations, which receive the funding from the Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation. Successful applicants must have matching funds for their projects and they receive their funding after successful completion of their projects.
This is the fifth year the CTO program has been in operation.
Both marketing and development projects are eligible under the program which reimburses communities following successful completion of their approved projects. Some examples of initiatives supported include print and broadcast advertising, event promotion, interpretative maps, tourist-related signage, online activities, tourism brochures and research.