City taxpayers could be footing the bill for a $10,000 breakfast two years down the road if council approves a recommendation that it support the Yukon government's bid to host the Canadian Tourism Commission's annual GoMedia event in 2012.

City tourism manager Sheila Dodd brought forward the recommendation at Monday's council meeting.

She proposed that the city commit to sponsoring a breakfast during the approximately week-long sessions for a maximum of $10,000, along with support and planning for familiarization tours for the media that will be in town.

As Dodd described in her report to council: "Traditionally hosted in a ‘southern' large city like Vancouver or Montreal, the GoMedia event is designed to showcase Canada to the media, including print, TV, news, media, etc.”

The event, she said, would see about 150 journalists in town to visit Whitehorse and other regions of the territory such as Dawson and Haines Junction, among others. There would also be about 150 industry officials in town for the event.

"It's a huge opportunity, not to be missed,” she said.

While the territory is only in the process of bidding on the event, she noted as part of its bid, it needs to know if it will have the city's support.

It asked that the city commit to hosting a dinner (estimated at $20,000) or breakfast, help with the planning and co-ordination of the five or six half-day Whitehorse familiarization tours and plan and host a media familiarization event before the session gets underway.

"There is past precedent that shows the city and (Yukon government) have worked together on tourism projects,” her report reads.

"For example, the City of Whitehorse has, in the past, facilitated the strategic objectives of (Yukon government) tourism by partnering in joint marketing efforts and by providing assistance on familiarization tours for both the travel trade and with media.

"(The Department of) Tourism and Culture has also facilitated city efforts through a program that can supply 50 per cent funding through the Tourism Marketing Fund to enable Whitehorse to market to targeted visitor segments.”

A backgrounder provided to the city by the Yukon government estimates the full cost of hosting the event to be around $200,000, which would be offset to some degree by industry in-kind contributions.

The benefit, the backgrounder states, would come in the form of unpaid media coverage about the Yukon throughout the rest of Canada, Germany, the UK, Australia and Japan, potentially along with secondary markets like France, Mexico and other Asian markets.

"It is estimated that GoMedia Canada Marketplace, its delegates and sponsors will generate a direct impact of $500,000 in the host city and region,” notes the information on the event.

Coun. Dave Stockdale, who was serving as acting mayor in Mayor Bev Buckway's absence, wants to see a more direct impact on the city's coffers.

He used Dodd's presentation to propose the idea of a hotel tax in the city, suggesting it's time to at least think about it.

"I'd just like to see our chest filled a little bit,” he said.

As Dodd pointed out, the issue has arisen in the past, and it would take a change to the territory's Municipal Act for the city to be able to charge a hotel tax.

There's currently a voluntary tax a number of local hotels pay that goes to the Yukon Convention Bureau for marketing efforts, Dodd added.

Stockdale also suggested that unless a visitor has been to Dawson, he or she really hasn't been to the Yukon. He wondered if Dawson would be included as part of the tours for media members, with Dodd confirming it would be on the list of choices for delegates.

Coun. Ranj Pillai, meanwhile, questioned whether the work required to assist in hosting was doable for city tourism staff, given the long list of events set for 2012. Those include the Arctic Winter Games, francophone summit and the possibility of a conference focused on southeast Alaska.

Dodd agreed that "it will be a struggle.” However, she's confident the event is far enough into the future to do the proper planning and organization.

It also makes good sense economically to take it on, she said.

The city will also be looking for funding opportunities to help pay for the financial contribution, she said though.

The city won't find the full $10,000 through such opportunities, she added, and will have to put up some of its own money.

Council will vote on whether to support the bid next week.