In keeping with recommendations from consultant Margaret McCormick in her Visitor Services Strategy, city council voted unanimously on Monday, Jan. 25 to move the ‘bricks and mortar’ of visitor services to city hall for the upcoming tourist season, at minimum.
With more than 30 years’ experience with B.C.’s tourism authority, McCormick presented a detailed report that drew compliments from council members, a few of them describing it as the best they’d seen. It determined that Salmon Arm and the Shuswap lack an overall tourism strategy.
McCormick noted that three groups have been providing tourism services to the city: Shuswap Tourism for destination marketing; Salmon Arm Economic Development dealing with the MRDT (Municipal & Regional District Tax Program) funds or the hotel tax; and the Salmon Arm Chamber of Commerce for visitor services. The city terminated the chamber’s contract to run the Visitor Centre in the old courthouse on Aug. 31, 2020, citing society’s shift to online marketing as well as the realities of the pandemic.
“You’re funding three different ones but your performance measures, your accountability and your decision-making is actually different for each,” McCormick said, noting that in this system unique to the Shuswap, the organizations have different mandates, different purposes and different roles.
McCormick also found that “Salmon Arm does not identify the importance of tourism in its own overall corporate strategy or actions…”
Coun. Kevin Flynn said he would like to see tourism in the city’s strategic plan, and asked how big a part of economic development tourism should fill. McCormick estimated 25 per cent at a minimum, saying that would give it the attention it requires.
McCormick said the 13 stakeholders she interviewed as part of her research wanted some type of ‘bricks and mortar’ visitor centre, not just a virtual version.
Salmon Arm’s director of corporate services Erin Jackson said staff support the use of city hall.
“We see that there is ample parking, access to washrooms, and there would be no overhead required. That could happen regardless of who delivers the service. If the city delivers it, it makes sense, and if we partner, we could also make that work,” Jackson said. She noted staff would collaborate with agencies already providing services.
