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RADIUM HOT SPRINGS – The Village of Radium Hot Springs is the most recent community to sign a Resort Municipality Revenue Sharing agreement with the Province, allowing it to share a portion of B.C.’s hotel room tax to invest in local resort-oriented projects and programs, Community Services Minister Ida Chong announced.
“This latest agreement, the fourth to date with the Province, is giving Radium Hot Springs access to funding to further support several new local tourism projects,” said Chong. “By providing resort communities with access to these additional funds, we are helping to create vibrant, sustainable resort-based communities across B.C., which in turn provide tourism, jobs and economic development opportunities for all British Columbians.”
Under the agreement, it is estimated that Radium Hot Springs and area will receive $700,000 over five years. The funding is expected to result in the creation and operation of a tourist shuttle bus, with priority consideration given to the new generation of high efficiency diesel and hybrid models. A resort community enhancement program will be initiated, which is expected to augment the traditional values of the village and surroundings, and to provide new visitors with a more favourable first impression and repeat visitors with an expectation of continued improvements.
As well, funding will support the construction of unique structures to better view the Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep in its natural environment. Funding will also assist with hosting festivals and events, thereby attracting new visitors.
“The funds from this agreement will go towards enhancing the tourist experience here in the Village,” said Radium Hot Springs Mayor Greg Deck. “It will not only help integrate visitors into the community but improve the quality of life for our residents as well. We’re also confident that we can make a notable contribution to meeting the Premier’s goal of doubling tourism in this province.”
Under the program, an eligible community receives a share of the
provincial hotel room tax, an amount based on a formula that takes into account
the level of tourist accommodation in the community, relative to other B.C.
communities. To be eligible, municipalities must have tourism based economies
or be designated as a “mountain resort municipality” under the Local Government
Act.
Communities must be prepared to put in place an additional two per cent
hotel room tax, prepare a Resort Development Strategy that reflects the input
of stakeholders and enter into a five-year results-based tourism development
agreement that sets out what will be achieved through revenue sharing.
To date, Whistler, Golden and Rossland have reached
similar agreements with the Province; nine other municipalities are currently
eligible to enter into agreements: Fernie, Invermere, Kimberley, Osoyoos,
Harrison Hot Springs, Revelstoke, Tofino, Ucluelet and Valemount. The Resort Municipality Revenue
Sharing program is part of the Province’s ongoing commitment to meeting the
goal of doubling B.C. tourism by 2015.
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Ministry of Community Services 250 356-6334 |
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For more information on government services or to subscribe to the Province’s news feeds using RSS, visit the Province’s website at www.gov.bc.ca. |
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