Sylvie Paillard
spaillard@squamishchief.com
Squamish will achieve a higher profile well before 2010 if a new tourism development initiative is a success.
Tourism BC and Vancouver Coast and Mountains Tourism Region (VCM) promotional experts came to Squamish Feb. 22 to brainstorm ways to sell this gem to the world, and they were thrilled to discover what they have to work with, according to Bob Kusch, director of tourism for the Squamish Sustainability Corporation.
"The representatives are all in awe of what Squamish has," he said. "The plethora of activities that we can promote and how many events that we actually have in the community that take place: Wild at Art, Logger Sports weekend, Soccerfest and the list just goes on and on, Test of Metal. When we started writing them all down they were floored at how much Squamish does offer already."
Squamish stakeholder groups had a meeting with representatives from Tourism BC and VCM on Feb. 22 as part of the Community Tourism Foundations development program offered by Tourism BC.
The purpose of the meeting was to review key components of the local tourism industry, highlight successes and gaps and establish priorities. This meeting served as a fact-finding mission for the Community Tourism Foundations development program and was the first step towards a more comprehensive work plan between Squamish and Tourism BC.
"The information exchanged reinforced all the opportunities that are before us," said Mayor Ian Sutherland. "Clearly, we have the pieces needed to make Squamish a top destination for years to come."
The stakeholder group included Sutherland and other representatives from the District of Squamish, representatives from the Squamish Sustainability Corporation, Squamish Adventure Centre, BC Centre for Tourism, Leadership and Innovation, Squamish Chamber of Commerce, Visitor Information Centre, Squamish Nation, Squamish Arts Council and the Squamish Town Centre Association.
The workshop facilitator Suzanne Denbak and other out of town representatives were also impressed with the level of cooperation among all local groups, said Kusch.
"One of the key things that they said, was very seldom will you see other municipalities where the advancement of tourism is so closely aligned with the Chamber of Commerce and working so closely with the business community," said Kusch. "They made the comment that they believe in many communities that is the problem, they can't move ahead because the relationship isn't the same as they see in Squamish."
Funding for the initiative is currently all coming from Tourism BC and the Union of British Columbia Municipalities, but a commitment from the District of Squamish may be expected in the future, according to Kusch.
"There is a potential for some need for some matching funding down the road, which we will take back to council once we know what that amount will be and what the program will be, and that's why we're in the initial stages right now to determine that," he said. "So we don't really have a financial commitment from the municipality at this point in time."
The next step in the process, tentatively scheduled for April 1, is for facilitators and tourism representatives to meet with stakeholders in specific areas, such as the accommodation or activity sectors.
"Then they'll be coming back shortly thereafter with a report to us outlining a direction that they believe that we should follow," said Kusch.
As Squamish advances through the program, consultation will be required with the community, according to a Squamish Sustainability Corp. news release. To indicate interest in participating in the program, contact Lesley Weeks at lweeks@squamish.ca or call 604-815-5080.
