The BC Government is providing $200,000 in one-time grants to support regional destination marketing organizations’ emergency preparedness including $100,000 to the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Tourism Association.
“The tourism sector can play a critical role in keeping people safe, especially in rural and remote areas,” Parliamentary Secretary for Emergency Preparedness, Jennifer Rice said in a news release.
“This investment is helping the industry plan ahead so people can get the information they need, when they need it, keeping visitors safe and local economies strong.”
The funding will be used by organizations to create a common set of communications tools, emergency management training for regional teams and coordinators, and expand their tourism database to enable real-time information sharing in the event of an emergency.
These activities together according to the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture will help mitigate the effects of natural disasters on B.C.’s tourism reputation through better preparedness, coordination, and communication.
“We’re thankful for the provincial government’s support for our efforts to prepare and respond to disasters, and this investment for the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast region is timely and vital,” said Amy Thacker, CEO, Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Tourism Association.
“As one of the regions hardest hit by recent events, our organization has led the development of a tourism emergency framework. This funding will help expand this work to other regions and interface with the broader emergency teams.”