Tourism Smithers is among 59 community district organizations to receive some help from the province due to COVID-19 impacts.
The province made the announcement Monday (May 25) Destination Marketing Organizations (DMO’s) in B.C. who rely on Municipal Regional District Tax will get financial support.
In total, B.C. is giving $10 million to DMO’s across the province.
Tourism Smithers will be receiving $33,900 according to Smithers Deputy Mayor Gladys Atrill.
Atrill says the grant from the province is a relief.
“Tourism Smithers is a marketing organization that relies on MRDT or hotel tax and with COVID-19 tourism, of course, non-essential travel was curtailed so really there are vastly reduced hotel stays and as a result, a vastly reduce in MRDT,” she said.
According to Atrill, hotels have also been given the option by the province to not make any MRDT payments until the fall.
Atrill also said Tourism Smithers was not the only DMO who was facing a potential shut down.
“As travel begins slowly hopefully this will help us keep working until hopefully next year where people are able to travel a bit further but MRDT or hotel tax really is what funds us and that’s completely reliant on people travelling,” she said.
She added she is also working with other DMO’s across the region on a regional marketing plan for when Tourism Smithers is given the green light to promote regional travel.
The tourism sector contributes nearly 30 million dollars per year into the local economy and last year the MRDT generated $258, 000 for Tourism Smithers according to a statement.