Destination BC, the organization that coordinates tourism marketing in this province, hosted a workshop in Revelstoke on Jan. 21 to gather input on future marketing plans.
Revelstoke business owner Nicole Cherlet believes tourists want to see the heart of Canada represented in small communities such as Revelstoke.
The Big Mountain Kitchen proprietor participated in the Jan. 21 Destination BC workshop along with about 25 other business members in the community.
“Destination BC markets the whole province and typical of every province the Lower Mainland gets the majority of that attention,” Cherlet said.
“This is about talking to the smaller communities and making sure our needs are being met too. And B.C. can advertise itself as more than just Vancouver.”
Destination BC’s director of partnership marketing, Peter Harrison visited Revelstoke to host the seminar on Wednesday. He explained that this feedback will be taken to an industry committee who will then provide recommendations.
“We’re looking at a new cooperative marketing concept … , [with this] new program being implemented by April 1, 2016,” he said.
“This is more to provide programs so that community and industry can put proposals forward so they can receive pubic funding and private sector funding.”
The end goal is to build tourism in the province.
Jeff Arnold from the Monashee Lodge also attended the workshop. He was positive of progress made today and he hoped it would also be followed through on.
“It’s important that these dialogues happen but it’s also important that they’re followed up on by the bureaucracies that are in charge,” he said.
Arnold said better branding of the city was vital to see improved tourism.
“Revelstoke is truly is an original and a real place, I call it. It’s not a full ski resort tourist trap, it’s a real little community,” he said.
“It’s physically very pretty because of its location and the local architecture.”
[It would be good] to try and get something into those shoulder seasons, and there are many opportunities to do that which aren’t being exploited.”
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