Blue River, Clearwater/Wells Gray, and Sun Peaks are eligible to receive a total of $25,400 for projects that help grow tourism.
“These communities all rely on tourism, and this funding will go a long way towards helping them better promote their local attractions. The idea is to make Blue River, Clearwater/Wells Gray and Sun Peaks the worst-kept secrets in B.C.,” said Kamloops-North Thompson MLA Terry Lake.
The communities and programs receiving CTO funding are:
• Blue River: consumer shows ($6,000), image bank ($2,000), website enhancements ($1,200), total: $9,200.
· Clearwater/Wells Gray: image bank ($4,000), website enhancements ($3,000), total: $7,000.
· Sun Peaks: summer campaign ($7,000), image bank ($2,200), total: $9,200.
The funding comes from the provincial government’s Community Tourism Opportunities (CTO) program administered by regional destination marketing organizations. In all three communities the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association administers it.
The CTO program is administered by the province’s six regional destination marketing organizations that receive the funding from the Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation. Successful applicants must have matching funds for their projects and they receive their funding after successful completion of their projects.