Sunshine Coast Tourism’s (SCT) participation in the municipal and regional tax program (MRDT) has been renewed.
According to a media release from SCT, MRDT funding ensures the organization can continue to work with local tourism-related businesses to grow the Sunshine Coast as a sustainable, year-round tourism destination.
“It’s been a very tough year for the tourism industry worldwide and it’s not over yet, but Sunshine Coast Tourism has a way forward on the road ahead,” stated Paul Kamon, SCT executive director. “Reliable funding for the next five years provides us with the vital means to assess and build back better, with a strategic, managed growth strategy. With a strong foundation that predates the pandemic, we are well-positioned for the coming period of economic recovery.”
Since the MRDT was introduced on the Sunshine Coast in 2016, SCT has developed and delivered a wide range of initiatives to benefit tourism-related businesses and communities, including marketing campaigns, industry development strategies, visitor resources and branded communications strategies.
“As an owner of two large accommodations in Powell River, I am pleased and confident that we can continue to compete in what is now an ever more challenging business environment,” stated SCT president Jack Barr. “The renewed MRDT funding will not only help to drive market recovery on the coast, but it will also ensure that we thrive and sustain our tourism economy well into the future.”
The MRDT is a two per cent consumer tax on the purchase of all short-term accommodation to generate revenues for the development of tourism marketing programs and projects. It is collected in more than 55 municipalities across the province and is the primary funding source for most tourism marketing boards in BC, including Sunshine Coast Tourism.
