NANAIMO – The City of Nanaimo and Tourism Vancouver Island (TVI) have signed a service agreement providing destination marketing and destination development services.
Acting on information contained in the City’s Core Services Review, combined with a report prepared by consulting firm CBRE, on October 18, 2016, Council passed a motion to combine tourism and destination marketing with conference marketing services. The desired outcome will see a single entity created and tasked with overseeing all aspects of tourism via a common vision and approach.
The agreement is set for February 1, 2017 through March 31, 2018 and is structured to run parallel with a soon-to-commence process during which an industry-led Tourism Advisory Committee will re-envision Nanaimo’s tourism model. Starting October 23, 2017 either party can terminate the agreement with two month’s notice
Tourism Vancouver Island has a diverse capacity and long history in destination marketing and development. The City funding provided to TVI, totalling $470,500, will be leveraged considerably through partnerships with the tourism industry and the provincial marketing agency, Destination BC.
In the coming weeks, members of the tourism industry in Nanaimo will be invited to provide input into the marketing strategies TVI is preparing. Over the course of the agreement, TVI will deliver a multi-faceted marketing campaign to inspire visitors to choose Nanaimo as a place to stay and enjoy for a vacation or getaway
Similar to the agreement signed with TVI, the City is currently in the process of securing a service provider to operate the Visitor Centre, commencing in April.