Community Tourism Foundations ®

Community Tourism Foundations programs support BC communities’ tourism marketing efforts in different ways.

The Community Tourism Foundations Development Program is designed for communities just starting out in the business of tourism, while the Community Tourism Foundations Marketing Program provides later-stage information and support for communities that have already laid the groundwork for outreach activities. A separate but related program, the Tourism Partners Program, gives local operators the chance to reach a wider audience by allowing them to participate in sophisticated, Tourism BC-branded, cooperative marketing campaigns managed by their Regional Destination Marketing Organization (RDMO).

As of April 1, 2007, marketing funds will be distributed only to those communities that

have completed the formal CTF Development process. CTF marketing funding allocations

must be done in consultation between Northern BC Tourism region along with Tourism BC (TBC).

Below are detailed descriptions of each of these programs:

Community Tourism Foundations® Development Program

The Community Tourism Foundations Development program offers a range of tools, proven resources and customized destination development assistance. Because it takes a step-by-step approach, the program can accommodate the needs of communities at different stages of the tourism development process.
A number of factors are determined in the initial assessment phase of the Development Program: how well the community in question understands the value of tourism, its specific development needs, and how and where program resources can best be applied. In the planning phase, development activities might include developing long-term strategies by participating in tourism research projects, conducting SWOT analyses, or examining community tourism organizational structures. The implementation phase can include such things as assistance with partnership development and designing visitor service programs.

Criteria for Selection

Community submissions will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and evaluated and prioritized against the following general criteria:

1. The ability and willingness of the destination to act as a coordinated group to engage in program-supported tourism planning activities.
2. The ability and willingness of the community to work more effectively within the provincial tourism infrastructure, including provincial, regional and product cooperative programs.
3. The ability and willingness of the community to participate in community and provincial research programs.
4. The ability and willingness of the destination to contribute their own resources into the program.
5. Information included in the completed Expression of Interest.
6. Available Tourism BC program resources.

Community Tourism Foundations® Marketing Program

The Community Tourism Foundations Marketing Program is designed to assist communities that have developed a multi-year tourism plan (either through the Community Tourism Foundations Development Program or on their own) and want to implement their own marketing initiatives. To be eligible for the program, they must have funding they wish to direct toward cooperative marketing activities administered by their RDMO.

Criteria for Selection

A community’s proposal will be evaluated in two ways: 1) the degree to which it promotes the Cooperative Marketing Program Goals, and 2) the degree to which it meets the following criteria:

1. Ability to build preference and convert preference to purchase.
2. Ability to work in partnership with the tourism region and other industry partners.
3. Ability to track enquiries and bookings or use of a central call to action such as the HelloBC toll-free number (information and booking service) and website where appropriate.
4. Contribution to the provincial economy through increased tourism spending regional economic development and tourism job creation.
5. Strength of the evaluation framework to measure results.

How to Apply

All communities interested in the Community Tourism Foundations® programs must fully complete the Expression of Interest Form. Once completed, please forward an electronic version of the form and required attachments to CommunityTourismFoundations@tourismbc.com, along with mailing two hard copies to the Community Tourism Foundations program (address below). If not all attachments are available in electronic format please indicate this in your email.

Community Tourism Foundations®
12th Floor, 510 Burrard Street
Vancouver, BC, V6C 3A8

Any questions about this process can be forwarded to:
CommunityTourismFoundations@tourismbc.com

Communities that have already progressed through the Community Tourism Foundations Development Program, or feel strongly that they are “market ready,” should indicate this on question 20 of their completed form.

® Trademark of Tourism British Columbia