Kootenay Rockies Tourism Conference deemed a great success

Kootenay Rockies Tourism Association (KRTA) held its 36th Annual General Meeting and Tourism Industry Conference in Rossland at the Prestige Mountain Resort on October 30.

A statement from the KRTA said 90 stakeholders attended this event.

Thom Tischik – Executive Director of the Revelstoke Accommodation Association presented a discussion entitled Communities working with the Region – How they fit with the big picture of regional marketing.  The presentation was well received by the audience with many useful and insightful ideas.

Destination BC Board Member and Mayor of Sun Peaks Mountain Resort Municipality, Al Raine, presented an overview of Destination BC and an update from the new Board of Directors.  Raine presented key highlights of the activities of the DBC Board including the newly formed Tourism Marketing Committee, which includes three representatives from our region – Mike McPhee of Island Lake Lodge, Thom Tischik of the Revelstoke Accommodation Association and Kathy Cooper, CEO of Kootenay Rockies Tourism.  We also congratulate Marsha Walden in her new role as the CEO for Destination BC.

Kathy Cooper, presented the delegates with an overview of tourism in Canada and British Columbia along with key highlights of the program areas of Tourism Partners, Travel Trade, Media and Communities.

The concurrent breakout sessions included Advanced Online Reputation Management delivered by Daniel Edward Craig – author and consultant of Reknown — and The Business Case for Sustainable Tourism delivered by Angela Nagy, CEO of Green Tourism Canada.

New for 2013 was the introduction of 2 Tourism Awards for Best Community Tourism Initiative and Best Marketing Campaign of the Year:

The winner of the Community Award, was a multi-partner initiative by Nelson-Kootenay Lake Tourism, Tourism Rossland, Whitewater Ski Resort and Red Mountain Resort working together to win the Best Ski Town Throwdown contest with Powder Magazine.

The Marketing Campaign of the Year Award was presented to a multi-partner initiative between Island Lake Catskiing and Mica Heliskiing for the TV show called “The Balance of Powder”.  Congratulations to both of them.

All of the presentations given throughout the day are available for download here.

The Annual General Meeting included an Election of Officers who will hold a two-year term on the Board of Kootenay Rockies Tourism. Click here for a list of the 2013-15 board members.