The Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation is making $1 million available for the support and promotion of tourism in the province.

Included in that funding is $127,000 for Kootenay Rockies communities, including Cranbrook, Elkford, Fernie, Invermere, Kimberley, Radium Hot Springs and Sparwood, as well as for Golden, Revelstoke, Castlegar, Creston, Kaslo, Nakusp, Nelson, Kootenay Lake, Rossland and Trail.

The shared funds are coming from the Community Tourism Opportunities (CTO) program, now in its third year of operation.

The catch to getting the funds is for each community to establish a program for which the province can provide matching dollars.

Individual communities are eligible for up to $9,200 from the province. In instances where clusters of communities have collaborated on a proposal, the maximum available funding is $23,000.

Both marketing and development projects are eligible under the program.

Some examples of initiatives supported include advertising, tourist-related signage, audio walking tours, online activities, tourism brochures and research.

The CTO program is coordinated by the province’s six regional destination

marketing organizations, including Kootenay Rockies, which receives the funding from the ministry.

e-KNOW/Ian Cobb

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