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Fort Steele in on prime promotional program
Fort Steele Heritage Town and 10 other provincial heritage sites will be featured in an upcoming display at the Vancouver Convention Centre, providing a surge in promotional value for this region’s and the rest of the province’s preserved treasures.
The displays, on a rotating basis, will be located in the east building of the Vancouver Convention Centre and will feature one site at a time.
The location of the displays will enable our government to promote these heritage sites to a large number of local, national and international visitors. Last fiscal, April 1, 2011 to March 31, 2012, the Vancouver Convention Centre welcomed approximately 790,000 visitors.
B.C. owns 23 heritage sites, 11 of which are open to the public and operated by third-party community agencies under Heritage Site Management Agreements. The 11 managed sites include: Barkerville Historic Town, Fort Steele Heritage Town, The Grist Mill at Keremeos, Historic Hat Creek Ranch, Kilby Historic Site, Point Ellice House, Cottonwood House, Craigflower Manor and Schoolhouse, Emily Carr House and Historic Yale.
British Columbia’s historic buildings, structures and cultural landscapes attract over 200,000 visitors annually from around the globe, creating jobs for British Columbians and supporting sustainable communities.
“B.C. is home to an exceptional mix of tourism experiences and our heritage sites play
an important role in bringing tourists to all regions of the province. These displays will help delegates see beyond the walls of the convention centre and encourage visitors to return to B.C. and explore our world-class tourism attractions and sites,” said Pat Bell, Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation.
In 2010, the tourism sector employed 127,000 British Columbians, generated over $13.4 billion in revenue for tourism-related businesses and contributed over $1.2 billion to provincial government revenues.
Total tourism wages and salaries were $4.4 billion in 2010, an increase of 37 per cent since 2000.
The provincial budget includes a commitment of $21 million over the next three years for the maintenance and operation of provincial heritage sites. The allocation for 2012-13 is $7.046 million, which will create an estimated 96 direct, full-time jobs.
For more information on B.C.’s tourism programs, visit: www.gov.bc.ca/jti/
For more information on B.C.’s provincially owned historic sites, visit: http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/heritage/historic_sites/site_list.htm
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