A proposal to increase the local hotel tax from two per cent to three per cent has been voted down by the accommodations that collect the tax, according to Tourism Wells Gray marketing manager Stephanie Molina.
The vote was taken during Tourism Wells Gray's annual general meeting on April 20.
The tax is collected by hotels, motels and other tourist accommodation within Clearwater and Thompson-Nicola Regional District Area A (Wells Gray Country).
“As an organization, TWG could not and would not like to proceed without the support of its stakeholders,” Molina commented.
In her annual manager's report, Molina noted there had been continued growth in visitors to this area during 2015 and a slight growth in revenue as determined from the collection of the hotel tax.
Molina also presented the five-year strategic business plan for Tourism Wells Gray, which lays out the organization's marketing goals and objectives for the 2017-2022.
“Embarking on the strategic planning process early-on during my tenure has set a strong foundation for moving forward with the important work of Tourism Wells Gray,” she said.
“It has enabled me to meet with and re-establish the organization's relationships with our tourism industry, and local and regional partners.”
Molina said that the plan was informed through thorough extensive consultation with tourism and business stakeholders in the community, as well as with District of Clearwater, Thompson-Nicola Regional District, and other community organizations and groups.
The plan sets a variety of tactics for attracting increased visitors from target markets during the winter and shoulder seasons.
The final plan will be available on the Tourism Wells Gray website.
Melody Romeo, sports coordinator for District of Clearwater (a jointly funded position) gave a presentation to the agm on the different sports tournaments she attracted to our area during 2015. Her work resulted in $291,000 total revenue for the year.