No new vessel to sail the seas, but dollars, dollars for you and me!

The Province has all but given up hope of having a replacement vessel for the Queen of the North in place for this tourism season. So while BC Ferries tries to work the Queen of Prince Rupert schedule to its last possible minute, the province will pony up some big dollars to make those visitors who still want to come up here feel very, very wanted.

The Daily has all the details.

PROVINCE AIMS $1M AT DRIVING UP TOURISM
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Page One

The province is hoping that close to a million dollars will turn what has been described as a “devastating” tourism season into the “Best Summer Ever.”

Olga Ilich, Minister of Tourism, Sport and the Arts, announced $900,000 yesterday to be used for marketing a “Best Summer Ever” campaign to draw visitors to those areas impacted by the B. C. Ferries service reduction following the sinking of the Queen of the North.

“The sinking of the ferry is not good news for tourism up there,” said Ilich. “We wanted to be able to put extra money in their hands and to do some marketing and try and draw some extra people.”

Funding will be split equally between three regional destination marketing organizations – the Northern B. C. Tourism Association, representing the North Coast/Prince George; Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Tourism Association, representing the Central Coast; and the Tourism Association of Vancouver Island representing the South Coast. These organizations have been tasked to work with local destination marketing organizations to come up with community-based plans.

It’s money on top of funding committed by the industry to encourage domestic tourism within the province.

“We are not going to be able to find another ferry but we can try and get people to drive up there,” said Ilich.

She explained that a recent survey conducted by Tourism B. C. revealed that communities and operators already offer visitors unique experiences with events such as Prince Rupert’s Seafest in June, July’s Edge of the Work Music Festival in Haida Gwaii, and even the Coho run from July to September.

The funds can be used to draw on “the domestic market,” attracting people from other parts of the province and Western Canada.

Communities will work with local and regional tourism organizations to identify potential incentives to be offered in the campaign. Some of the ideas under consideration include a sweepstakes promotion, gas coupons, discounts for major events and festivals; “passports” for local museums and attractions; and contests through Visitor Centres.

Shawn Robbins, communications director for the Ministry of Tourism, Sport and the Arts, described it as a “comprehensive one time response to the disaster.”

“(The funds) are aimed a summer visitors and getting out timely information, “said Robbins.

The Queen of the North, the vessel that serviced the Inside Passage between Prince Rupert and Bear Cove in Port Hardy during the summer months, sank off Gil Island March 22. The replacement vessel Queen of Prince Rupert is smaller and will result in a sixty per cent capacity loss.

It’s just one more problem during a season with many challenges, including high gas prices, a high Canadian dollar keeping US tourists at home, and confusion over changes to border crossing regulations through the U. S.’s Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative.

“We recognize it’s difficult right now and not a great time for people in the tourism industry,” said Ilich.

“What we can do is work with regional tourism organizations to try and come up with ideas.”

The province has also provided the Council of Tourism Associations with funding the study the long-term potential along the Port Hardy, to Prince Rupert and on to Prince George.

It’s an opportunity, she said, to look at ways to fulfill the province’s commitment to double the current tourism numbers.

“One of my jobs as a tourism minister is to ensure tourism is alive in the whole province …not just in Vancouver, Victoria and Whistler,” she said.

“Some of this may be short term pain but it will allow us to focus long term on the North Coast.”

For information on how the money will be used and reaction from the opposition, see tomorrow’s Daily News.