Provincial government scraps Tourism BC

[mr.x]

Provincial government scraps Tourism BC

Updated: Mon Aug. 17 2009 17:46:35

ctvbc.ca

Six months before British Columbia is set to host the 2010 Olympic Games, the provincial government is scrapping the program in charge of promoting tourism in the province.

Tourism BC, a Crown corporation, will be folded into the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts. The decision is being hailed as a move to lower administrative costs and harmonize marketing initiatives in the province.

The changes will come into effect in April 2010. The board of directors will immediately be replaced by a minister's advisory council.

B.C. Tourism Minister Kevin Krueger says shutting down the corporation will help use the money spent on tourism more efficiently.

He argues doing so will make it easier to ensure the entire province benefits from the Olympics.

"It is the way to move ahead with maximum strength on ... the resources that we have and to make sure nothing is overlooked with regards to capitalizing on the great opportunity that we have before us," said Krueger.

Tourism BC was created in 1997 as a marketing arm for the province.

The New Democrats are calling the decision a cut, which they say will hurt efforts to bring in tourists from around the world.

"Tourism BC's plan of doubling tourism by 2015 is really in doubt now," said tourism critic Spencer Herbert.

Herbert also tried to link the news to his party's ongoing campaign against the Liberal government's decision to introduce a harmonized sales tax.

The tourism industry has been among the groups opposed to the tax, set to be introduced next year, and Herbert suggested that's what's really behind the decision to scrap Tourism BC.

"What it looks like to me is that this is retribution to the tourism industry for their outspokenness on the HST," he said.

The president of the Council of Tourism Associations said the announcement caught his group off guard.

"It's hard to provide that steady hand on industry when big changes, big decisions are made," said Steve Regen.

"We're just going to have to work with government and they need to help us understand all the rationale and the thinking."

With files from The Canadian Press

[twoNeurons]

Harmonized Tax.... Harmonized Tourism... wonder what's next to be harmonized.

[whatnext]

The tourism industry has been complaining too loudly about the HST, so Gordo the Petty had decided to slap them down. Standard modus operandi for our beloved Premier.

[quobobo]

Cool, hopefully they'll axe the entire tourism division after the Olympics.

[flight_from_kamakura]

may or may not make tourism spending more effective, one thing that's sure though is that it puts the tourism dollar decisions directly into the hands of bureaucrats and politicians.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by quobobo

Cool, hopefully they'll axe the entire tourism division after the Olympics.

Why? So we become even more uncompetitive with other jurisdictions around the world that spend a lot more promoting tourism?

[quobobo]

And then the industries that benefit from tourism most might have to promote it with their own money. Shocking, I know.

[johnjimbc]

well, seeing as tourists pay taxes and support a myriad of businesses, promoting tourism is sort of a good idea. The businesses benefiting tourism still have to compete and still have to market themselves.

I'm disappointed just because I like their work. My parents were really impressed with the quality of the videos and information they got from BC Tourism. It made them even more eager to visit, aside from seeing me of course .

It seems like a strange step to take leading up to the Olympics. I imagine motivation just fell through the floor at BC Tourism.

[SFUVancouver]

For what it is worth Tourism Vancouver is industry-funded through a 2% hotel tax and membership fees.

[ozonemania]

Regardless of how one feels about Tourism BC and its fate, I feel that this move was very poorly executed. Seems like the primary stakeholders in this decision were not consulted or warned, never mind the trickle down that really touches many industries on many levels. Communication, timing was extremely poor... so even if it was a sound decision, it really comes off as being authoritarian, capricious, or even scary.

There is probably more to this story between Tourism BC and the government than what is publicly known, there has to be. Was it a power issue? Cost issue? Performance issue? Cuz if it ain't broken don't fix it... if it is broken, say so. Making major changes like this for the sake of simple cost seems really shortsighted. After all, money spent to run Tourism BC could also be seen as an investment.

Not to mention the loss of the Tourism BC brand, an organization with much respect and goodwill in the industry... gone, gone, gone.

[whatnext]

Looks like Gordo's dirty hands are all over the Tourism BC closure. The more I see of the NDP's Spencer Herbert, the more impressed I am. The article hits the nail on the head about the stupid "best place on earth" slogan.

...Herbert, back on his feet: "The minister talks about a great opportunity to market B.C., but then he takes the industry-led marketing group, which is supposed to do that marketing, and takes the axe to it, shuts it down, kicks it to the ground. The minister has said the decision to do so was about cost savings and efficiencies, but according to his ministry, there are no records, reports or any assessments which show that there are any savings at all."...

...All of which tends to confirm the persistent rumour in the capital, that Tourism BC had somehow offended Premier Gordon Campbell. One of those possibilities was aired earlier this fall by Keith Baldrey, chief political reporter for Global TV, in his column in the New Westminster Record and other community newspapers.

"Tourism BC officials kept insisting Premier Gordon Campbell's favourite slogan -- that B.C. is 'the best place on Earth' -- was simply not workable as a marketing tool to woo tourists," Baldrey wrote. "Trying to tell Americans (or pretty much anyone else, for that matter) that their country is somehow inferior to our province simply doesn't work."...
http://www.vancouversun.com/story_pr...250762&sponsor

[Metro-One]

I hate that slogan so much, I want it to die!

[giallo]

Me too. It's the worse slogan I've ever seen about city/region/country.

[Rusty Gull]

Absolutely awful expression. A true embarrassment. It makes the people of this province look, so, uh, well, provincial. And small-minded. And arrogant.

Bigoted even.

[Metro-One]

Maybe they will replace it with this one...."Where you come from is Shit!"

Hahahaha


I want Super Natural BC back, that one was great!

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

Maybe they will replace it with this one...."Where you come from is Shit!"

Hahahaha


I want Super Natural BC back, that one was great!

Yeah! "Super, Natural" was naturally elegant.
"The Best Place on Earth" is as hokey as you can get - just about, anyway.

[allan_kuan]

I agree... their new marketing slogan is boring... uninspiring... misleading... >.<