Tourism Golden has been part of the increasing tourism numbers in Kicking Horse Country for years, and this past month they were officially recognized for their achievements.
Destination BC and the Tourism Industry Association of BC awarded Tourism Golden with BC Destination Marketing Organization Association Professional Excellence Award.
“Being recognized by Destination BC, the leading body for tourism in BC, in front of many illustrious industry colleagues at the industry conference is a great honour,” said Joanne Sweeting, Tourism Golden Manager.
“I feel very proud of the Tourism Golden team, whose tireless commitment to implementing the strategic and annual plans is the reason we are able to stand up to receive this recognition.”
Tourism Golden’s objective is to raise awareness of Golden as a vacation destination, and if the statistics are any indication, they are succeeding. Tourism has been up across the province over the last couple years, but Golden has been ahead of the pack.
“In Golden we have seen significant annual increases since 2011, ahead of the provincial recovery, and still continue to rise. Accommodation revenues in Golden have increased by over 70 per cent since 2011 and I know of no other destination that has seen that,” said Sweeting.
Sweeting attributes the success to a team effort that includes an engaged board, particularly president Lynn Moffat, as well as supportive tourism stakeholders, and exceptional tourism providers in accommodation, food and beverage, and of course adventure tourism.
The organization continues to move forward strategically, and has a five-year plan in place called Tourism Golden Strategic Plan 2017-2021: Build/Create/Communicate/Collaborate.
“The plan continues to build on our strong brand and the ‘Golden Rules’ messaging, on creating, curating and communicating motivational on-brand imagery, video and other content assets,” said Sweeting.
“We will also focus on connecting our tourism stakeholders to educational opportunities, tools and guidance provided by the provincial and regional tourism bodies, helping to support product and destination development and enhance the visitor experience.”
