Tourism Bowen Island is asking for increased assistance in order to continue operating the Visitor Information Centre in the Cove.
The tourist association, working under the umbrella of the municipality, is a common sight in Snug Cove during the summer. Operating out of the Blue Cottage and a mobile kiosk, members of Tourism Bowen Island (TBI) meet visitors coming off the ferry and provide them with information, places to explore on the island, and answer questions about Bowen. The Visitor Centre is generally open from Victoria Day weekend through Labour Day weekend.
The Centre is funded by a fee-for-service agreement with the municipality which has provided $20,000 per year over the past five years for operating costs. But with minimum wages rising in the province and more visitors coming to the island each year, TBI says this benchmark isn’t enough.
“This agreement is unfortunately no longer viable for Tourism Bowen Island to function,” said TBI chair Liz Nankin during a presentation to council on Monday. Along with executive director Jody Lorenz, the pair explained that many of the grants available during the pandemic are no more, and that the association needs to unlock new paths of revenue. Options included increased funding from the municipality, or the ability to draw money from the Municipal and Regional District Tax Program (MRDT) if Bowen were able to sign on to the program.
Mayor Andrew Leonard acknowledged the work of TBI as the frontline workers assisting tourists each summer, both on normal days or in emergencies such as when BC Ferries unexpectedly cancelled half-a-days worth of sailings on a long weekend last year. “I think one of the reasons why this discussion is so long and why discussions on tourism are so spicy in the fall is that we’ve just been through a heavy duty tourism season. We hear that from residents and everybody. It’s certainly exacerbated by BC Ferries and how they’ve been servicing the island,” said the mayor.
“I just want to appreciate Tourism Bowen Island’s role in managing the traffic down there… and honour the importance and value of that work to the municipality.”
Leonard said both increased funding for TBI in next year’s budget and pursuing the MRDT option were options which would be discussed further.
