 |
|
KIMBERLEY – The City of Kimberley and Province of B.C. have
signed a resort municipality revenue sharing agreement, giving the community
access to a portion of the provincial hotel room tax to invest in local
resort-oriented projects and programs, Community Services Minister Ida Chong
announced.
“It is important that we give B.C.’s resort
municipalities the tools they need to advance their local tourism industries
and add or enhance amenities to make the community even more attractive to
visitors,” said Chong. “Kimberley, like other resort communities across the
province, has unique demands and a limited tax base. Through this program, we
are helping to create vibrant, sustainable resort-based communities across
B.C., which in turn, provide tourism options, jobs and economic development
opportunities.”
Under the agreement, it is estimated that Kimberley and area will
receive $350,000 over five years. The funding is expected to complement
the existing pedestrian-friendly community by adding a natural miniature golf
course, promoting a more family-oriented tourism experience, installing new
directional signage, purchasing new reservation software and expanding green
spaces. Kimberley will also be
looking into developing a broadband open access network for the City, thereby
adding a unique amenity for visitors.
As a result of these investments, the City of Kimberley expects its
skier and golf visitation to increase by 20 per cent from existing levels over
the next five years.
“On behalf of the City of Kimberley, I wish to thank the Province for
designating Kimberley as a resort region,” said Kimberley Mayor James
Ogilvie. “I
would also like to thank Minister Chong for personally bringing the resort
municipalities revenue sharing agreement to Kimberley for signing. Becoming a
resort region coupled with the signing of the revenue sharing agreement will
enable our community to move forward with many new initiatives in support of
our local tourism industry.”
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 be designated as a “resort
region” or 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, Rossland, Harrison Hot Springs, Radium Hot
Springs and Valemount have reached similar agreements with the Province; six
other municipalities are currently eligible to enter into agreements: Fernie,
Invermere, Osoyoos, Revelstoke, Tofino and Ucluelet. 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.
-30-
|
contact: |
Ministry of Community Services 250 953-3677 |
|
|
|
||
|
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. |
||
