Nelson Kootenay Lake, communities get funding boost for tourism
By Nelson Daily Staff
Nelson Kootenay Lake will share in $127,100 in total funding for Kootenay Rockies communities as the Province doled out grants from its Community Tourism Opportunities (CTO) program Wednesday.
Along with Nelson, Castlegar, Cranbrook, Creston, Elkford, Fernie, Golden, Invermere, Kaslo, Kimberley, Nakusp, Radium Hot Springs, Revelstoke, Rossland, Sparwood and Trail will share in the cash.
The money is expected to support and promote tourism, with around $1 million being shared among 300 grassroots projects through the CTO program, now in its third year of operation.
Growing in popularity, applications to the program have increased 13 per cent this year.
The Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation program assists communities to implement their own tourism initiatives with the Province acting as a funding partner by providing matching monies upon the completion of eligible projects.
Individual communities are eligible for up to $9,200 from the Province. In instances where clusters of communities have collaborated on a proposal, the maximum available funding is $23,000.
Both marketing and development projects are eligible under the program. Some examples of initiatives supported include advertising, tourist-related signage, audio walking tours, online activities, tourism brochures and research.
The CTO program is co-ordinated by the Province’s six regional destination marketing organizations which receive the funding from the Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation.
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