Whitehorse Daily Star

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Ed Peart

Bureau stresses role in drawing visitors north

Work by the Yukon Convention Bureau returns $260 to the Whitehorse economy for every dollar it receives in core funding from city hall, council heard Monday at its weekly meeting.

By Chuck Tobin on July 22, 2014

Work by the Yukon Convention Bureau returns $260 to the Whitehorse economy for every dollar it receives in core funding from city hall, council heard Monday at its weekly meeting.

“We have just come off of a banner year with over $5 million worth of direct economic impact to the territory and for Whitehorse, in meetings and conferences alone,” said bureau treasurer Ed Peart.

“Hotels were busy in the shoulder season, people were staying longer, coming prior to conferences and meetings and bringing family members with them. The numbers have shown that.”

Peart noted the bureau will be coming forward with its application to renew the contribution agreement with the city before the existing one expires July 31.

Members of the convention bureau provide one-third of the financial support for the destination marketing organization, he said.

The bureau received $20,000 in core funding from the city in 2013, according to figures supplied this morning by bureau manager Alida Munro.

Munro indicated the convention bureau received $125,000 in core funding from the Yukon government, along with an additional $75,000 if the organization was able to raise the same amount from its membership.

Representatives of the organization appeared before city council last October to indicate the bureau would be seeking an increase of $5,000 in the annual core funding arrangement.

The treasurer said with the convention bureau’s efforts, in the past three months alone – April, May and June – there were 1,700 delegates attending meetings and conventions, leaving behind an economic impact of $2.5 million.

The bulk of that, he said, stayed in the Whitehorse economy.

Peart said it’s through the work of Munro and sales manager Mike Collins that the bureau is doing so well.

And there is more to do, he said, adding that just like any government and organization, the bureau does regularly review the programs it delivers to ensure they are effective.

The new Air North connection to Ottawa, the bureau’s number one market, has created some new opportunities, Peart pointed out.

“This means that we can more easily convince groups and organizations to hold their event in Yukon,” he told city council.

“We are planning an event in Ottawa where we will host Ottawa-based qualified meeting planners in conjunction with partners. This will be an exclusive Yukon event.”

Peart emphasized partnerships are important.

The bureau’s sales manager and the city’s economic development co-ordinator made a pitch in Quebec City recently and as result 400 members of the Economic Development Association of Canada will be meeting in Whitehorse next September, he said.

Comments (5)

Up 0 Down 0

Michel Dupont on Jul 24, 2014 at 2:24 pm

You get it Bill! Where and when did the "Yukon" Convention Bureau book a meeting and or convention outside Whitehorse?

Up 1 Down 0

Taxes on Jul 24, 2014 at 9:45 am

All the hotels, food outlets, car rentals, tour group, local shops etc all pay property and business taxes to COW and lots more than the average household. They also employ lots of people whom own or rent homes which pay taxes. The COW has to change its tax structure where it clearly shows how much is spent on primary, secondary and tertiary services. The COW has to develop a new tax structure for secondary and tertiary services. Economic Development which this bureau is a tertiary service which provide a service to support the COW economy and does raise a lot of money that directly floods back to the COW and the Yukon Government in different forms of taxes.

Up 2 Down 1

Bill Holmes on Jul 22, 2014 at 6:35 pm

Maybe they should change their name to the Whitehorse Convention Bureau?

Up 5 Down 1

June Jackson on Jul 22, 2014 at 5:40 pm

The "numbers show that"... where do you get the numbers? How does someone arrive at a figure of $260. for every dollar? who brought into the territory? How is this all determined? (not criticizing..just asking.)

While I do not question the value of tourism and conventions etc. I just want to remind taxpayers that the City of Whitehorse is $600K in the hole, and taxes are skyrocketing and going up again in a few months. This year the Bureau is asking for even more money. Why isn't $260. on the dollar seeing some of that being funneled back into your organization? The unemployment numbers didn't change, nor did the average income, so it wasn't the private industry workers seeing any of that $260. on the dollar.. The Hotels/Restaurants are busy anyway, people have always brought their families when they travel to "exotic" places..

I'm just saying.. can't you find a way to get more bucks without driving my taxes up?

Up 6 Down 1

bobbybitman on Jul 22, 2014 at 5:12 pm

Where does one begin with putting holes in the faceatious message that 'for every $1 in core funding the convention bureau returns $260'?

That they take credit for every dime spent by conventions? That they receive money elsewhere as well so they can hardly pin the $260 to that specific $20,000 in core funding (they got $200,000 from the territory alone). I'll stop there.

Next, how much tax revenue did any of these conventions generate for the city of Whitehorse? How much revenue went to local businesses and hotels? If the convention bureau is that valuable to local hotels and businesses, they should be getting 100% of their funding from the people they are working for: namely Northern Vision Development, other hotels, and local tourist restaurants. To a lesser extent local shops, and car rental agencies.

Those are the people the convention bureau works for, and they should stop asking the local homeowners to pay for their own marketing.

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