Home »
Cranbrook Tourism steps closer to sustainable funding
Cranbrook Tourism is getting closer to a big financial boost, thanks to some encouraging words from a key provincial tourism organization.
Destination BC characterized Cranbrook Tourism’s application for the Municipal and Regional District Tax (MRDT) Program as ‘very solid,’ and provided generally positive feedback. The application now goes to the provincial Ministry of Finance, and Cranbrook Tourism hopes the application will be approved by cabinet by this fall, so the program can be rolled out early in 2018.
Chris Andrews, General Manager of Wildstone Golf Course and a Cranbrook Tourism board member, said a successful MRDT application would be huge for the area. The levy would bring in several hundred thousand dollars to support a marketing plan that was submitted with the application for the MRDT.
“Marketing funding for Cranbrook Tourism Society through the MRDT program is a great opportunity for Cranbrook’s tourism sector,” Andrews said. He thanked the City of Cranbrook for its “great assistance with this application.”
Another board member, David Kroeker, General Manager of the Prestige Rocky Mountain Resort & Convention Centre, said the money would help Cranbrook’s tourism sector gain sophistication and organization.
Marketing funded by the MRDT program could result in a major boost for the local economy. Cranbrook will join other B.C. communities that already collect the MRDT to strengthen tourism marketing such as Kimberley, Fernie, Invermere, Radium Hot Springs, Golden, Revelstoke, Kelowna and others.
About Cranbrook Tourism Society
The City of Cranbrook along with the Cranbrook Chamber of Commerce and the Canadian Rockies International Airport have been working diligently for several years to formalize Cranbrook Tourism’s efforts, by holding workshops, open houses and meetings with the industry to solidify efforts and form a united front.
Cranbrook Tourism Society was formally established in 2015 and the application for the Municipal and Regional District Tax (MRDT) Program was submitted earlier this year.
The MRDT raises revenue for local tourism marketing, programs and projects. Spending on tourism marketing, programs or projects under the MRDT should contribute to the increase of local tourism revenue, visitation, and economic benefits.
All proposed spending of MRDT revenues must be clearly set out in the Five-Year Strategic Plan and One-Year Tactical Plans which must be approved by the province as part of the approval of an application for the MRDT.
Submitted
