A new agreement signed today in Osoyoos will give an added boost to development of the tourism industry in this South Okanagan resort community.

 

Three organizations – the Town of Osoyoos, the Regional District Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS), and the NK’MIP Resort Association – have joined forces to provide operational funding for the area’s tourism agency, Destination Osoyoos (DO), for the three-year period 2010-2012.

 

In addition, the new contract paves the way for all four groups to collaborate in the development of future innovative marketing initiatives that will increase the community’s tourism industry. The partners will play a key role in a Sept. 21 workshop being held to plan tourism marketing for Osoyoos for the next three years. The local tourism industry, which has grown significantly in recent years, is currently valued at approximately $70 million per year.

 

The contract, signed at a ceremony held at the office of Destination Osoyoos, will provide a total of $150,000 per year to DO. The contract is based on an agreement reached by the four groups in early 2010, after months of discussion. Destination Osoyoos had provided both tourism and economic development services for the Town of Osoyoos since the late 1990s, but the Town took over economic development services in early 2010. The new agreement will have DO continue to provide its key tourism marketing services – now in a broader partnership.

 

Destination Osoyoos will also continue to partner directly with the broader Osoyoos tourism industry, working through the local Tourism Advisory Committee to co-ordinate spending of the approximately $200,000 raised each year through the community’s two-per-cent Additional Hotel Room Tax (AHRT) – money earmarked for tourism promotion. DO also retains its contract with Tourism BC to operate the BC Visitor Centre @ Osoyoos.

 

All parties to the new agreement say it makes great sense for the Town, the Regional District, and the NK’MIP Resort Association to jointly contract Destination Osoyoos, since all three organizations have been extensively involved in tourism developments in the area for many years. They believe that working more closely with each other and with DO will provide a better, more integrated model for further improvements to tourism.

 

Osoyoos Mayor Stu Wells says it took a number of months to finalize the new agreement because it involved four organizations and they each wanted to make sure the new arrangement is the best it can be. “It’s exciting. It’s a new approach to funding for Destination Osoyoos. The Town is really pleased with the funding formula and the fact that all the people were eager and willing to join in. We’re looking forward to working with the other organizations to develop tourism in the best way possible for our community.”

 

RDOS Area ‘A’ Director Mark Pendergraft says he is pleased that the discussion process has resulted in this new agreement. “I am glad that we will be starting this collaborative approach to tourism marketing, and that the contract is for three years, which is a long enough period to allow for some effective planning.”

NK’MIP Resort Association Chair Chris Bower – who is also a former Board Chair of Destination Osoyoos – says he is looking forward to the upcoming Sept. 21 planning session for Osoyoos tourism marketing. “We’re pleased to become a real partner in creating the area’s new tourism marketing plan. With the other partners we will be able to take a co-ordinated approach to developing some excellent marketing initiatives.”

 

Destination Osoyoos Board Chair Don Brogan says he is delighted that the Town, RDOS and the NK’MIP Resort have been able to work out the new three-year contract to support DO. “In my opinion, It was critical that the previous success and the growing momentum created by the earlier agreements between the Town and Destination Osoyoos be continued. Our new contract lays out perfectly the mandate and direction for our organization to externally market our region and continue to raise the world’s awareness of our spectacular destination.”

 

DO Executive Director Jo Knight says, “The contract provides for a collaborative partnership – not only in the planning of our tourism destination marketing strategy, but also in many of our specific projects. It will be a strategic and very positive relationship.”

 

Knight notes that the Sept. 21 planning workshop will develop the successor to the area’s first three-year Tourism Market Development Plan, which covered 2008-10 and will end on Dec. 31. The second plan will cover 2011-13. The workshop will be attended by the DO Board of Directors, tourism leaders, members of the local Tourism Advisory Committee, and representatives of the Town of Osoyoos, RDOS and the NK’MIP Resort Association. About 20 people will attend the planning session.

 

Under the new contract for Destination Osoyoos, the Town of Osoyoos will provide $72,876 per year, RDOS will provide $12,000 per year, the NK’MIP Resort Association will provide $15,124 per year, and $50,000 will be provided from the local two-per-cent Additional Hotel Room Tax (AHRT).

dbrogan@walnutbeachresort.com