The B.C. government plans to increase the province’s destination tourism marketer, Destination British Columbia’s $50 million annual budget by up to 2% per year, Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training Minister Shirley Bond announced at the Tourism Industry Association of British Columbia conference in Victoria earlier this month.
This would be the first increase since Destination B.C. was created in 2013, Destination B.C. CEO Marsha Walden told Business in Vancouver on March 3.
B.C. government funding counts for virtually all of Destination B.C.’s revenue.
Bond’s new funding model protects the marketer’s $50 budget while the increases will be tied to the broader tourism sector’s success and Destination B.C.’s performance.
The increases will be cumulative, meaning that Destination B.C.’s budget can build year over year. That means that within the next six years, Destination B.C.’s budget could increase by $5 million to $55 million annually.
Tourism has been booming in B.C.
In 2016, the province attracted a record 5,532,065 international visitors, which is an increase of more than 12.3%.
