Sicamous Mayor Terry Rysz had a great deal for federal Tourism Minister M茅lanie Joly in Armstrong Thursday.

The Armstrong to Sicamous rail trail corridor project needs money, said Rysz. The feds have announced a new marketing strategy 91裸聊视频� which is what brought Joly to the North Okanagan and Fairways Bistro at the Royal York Golf Course 91裸聊视频� which includes money, said Joly.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 (rail trail) a great project, worth being studied,91裸聊视频� said Joly to a sold-out crowd at the event hosted by the Armstrong Spallumcheen and Greater Vernon chambers of commerce. She was presented with a concept design report of the rail trail corridor by Armstrong Spallumcheen chamber board president Peter Rotzetter.

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91裸聊视频淚t shows the power of tourism. By adding tourism, now, to our key infrastructure priorities, we can now fund these projects and these can drive local economies.91裸聊视频�

Joly, whose portfolio includes official languages and La Francophonie, announced the government91裸聊视频檚 new marketing strategy, which includes creating 54,000 new jobs by 2025 across the country; increasing revenues by 25 per cent, or $128 billion in the economy by 2025; increasing, by one million, the number of visitors that come to Canada during winter and shoulder season; and getting international visitors out of Canada91裸聊视频檚 three biggest cities 91裸聊视频� Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver 91裸聊视频� and into regions like the North Okanagan-Shuswap.

91裸聊视频淭his is a very ambitious strategy but we91裸聊视频檙e confident we can do that,91裸聊视频� said Joly.

Ottawa has launched a new federal Canadian Experiences Fund, where $60 million is available over two years. The idea is to support five types of products or experiences that businesses and not-for-profit groups can develop in the North Okanagan-Shuswap.

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That includes any products or experiences aligned with winter and shoulder season; what can be done during that time of year to drive visitors to the area.

The Armstrong to Sicamous rail trail corridor would fit under remote and rural tourism, another of the products/experiences eligible for federal funding.

91裸聊视频淩emote and rural tourism is obviously relevant to this region,91裸聊视频� said Joly. 91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檝e seen what tourism has done here, and by supporting more of these beautiful local gems, we91裸聊视频檒l help grow the tourism sector.91裸聊视频�

Everything in line with Indigenous tourism is available for funding, and Joly announced $2.5 million in funding for the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada to help Indigenous people and groups develop products and experiences to help with tourism.

91裸聊视频淲e know there91裸聊视频檚 fantastic growth, 17 per cent growth, in Indigenous tourism,91裸聊视频� said Joly. 91裸聊视频淥ne-third of Chinese people coming to Canada seek an Indigenous tourism experience. Fifty per cent of German people want an Indigenous tourism experience, and so do two-thirds of visitors from France.91裸聊视频�

Also eligible for funding is LGBTQ tourism, a community, said Joly, that travels 91裸聊视频渇our-to-six-times per year,91裸聊视频� and, 91裸聊视频渋f there91裸聊视频檚 a place the LGBTQ community can feel safe, it91裸聊视频檚 obviously here (Canada).91裸聊视频�

Saving the best for last, said Joly, was funding available for culinary tourism, or farm to table tourism, something totally relevant to the North Okanagan-Shuswap.

91裸聊视频淲e can support our farmers91裸聊视频� markets and want to get international visitors to go see them,91裸聊视频� said Joly. 91裸聊视频淲e can support food festivals that become an event where people can discover the great local food and products. What are we doing for wineries and cideries that people can go and discover.91裸聊视频�

Joly also said in order for Ottawa to help create destinations in Canada, they need to attract more private investments, and said the Liberals have finally added tourism to the top of government priorities.

91裸聊视频淭ourism is not at the children91裸聊视频檚 table anymore, we91裸聊视频檙e finally at the adult table,91裸聊视频� said Joly. 91裸聊视频淎ll the departments within government will look at not only the issues within the tourism sector but opportunities as well.91裸聊视频�

The infusion of federal funding and renewed national focus on tourism is welcome news to the Armstrong Spallumcheen and Greater Vernon chambers of commerce.

91裸聊视频淲e thank Minister Joly for taking the time to stop in our region and it was exciting to learn more about the recently announced federal tourism strategy,91裸聊视频� said Rotzetter.

roger@vernonmorningstar.com
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