Another four weeks, at least, has been added to the ongoing tourism marketing dispute in Penticton.
Thursday, the Penticton Hospitality Association and the City of Penticton were facing each other in B.C. Supreme Court in Kelowna, after the city petitioned for an injunction to stop the accommodators’ association from spending any more of the funds currently in their possession.
The dispute started on Oct. 31, 2013, when the city announced the PHA was in breach of the obligations spelled out in a five year contract signed with the city in July 2012 giving them control over the approximately $400,000 for tourism marketing collected annually via the hotel room tax.
The PHA maintains they are just trying to continue business as normal, and are using hotel room tax funds from before Oct. 31 to continue funding advertising and marketing for the 2014 tourist season and beyond. If successful, the city’s injunction would prevent them from continuing to purchase tourism marketing.
After hearing arguments from both sides over the course of three days, the Supreme Court Justice hearing the petition said he will deliver his decision in four to six weeks.
