British Columbia Resort Municipality Initiative

The B.C. Resort Municipality Initiative was created to provide resort-oriented municipalities with new finance, development and business promotion tools to enhance the resort sector in B.C. The Initiative is based on the recommendations (1.2 MB) of the B.C. Resort Task Force and is intended to help local governments develop and promote tourism the province. The history of this Initiative is provided through links to a number of Resort Development Strategy Overview documents.
 

Bill 11 (Community Services Statutes Amendment Act) was introduced in the spring of 2007 to amend the Local Government Act, Mountain Resorts Associations Act and the Hotel Room Tax Act.  These amendments were made to enhance resort development by providing resort-oriented communities with the tools they need to realize their full potential:

• Bill 11
• Press Release
• Backgrounder

The legislation allows the Lieutenant Governor In Council to designate an area of the province as a Resort Region in areas that are highly resort-oriented. Local governments in a Resort Region may then qualify for the new finance, development and business promotion tools that are outlined below.
 

Finance Tools

Resort Municipality Tax Transfer Program

This program transfers, by agreements with Resort Bodies, between 1% and 4% of the 8% Provincial Hotel Room Tax (HRT) generated within a Resort Area to the designated Resort Body for the development of their tourism economies. The goal is to finance new or improved resort infrastructure and services to increase the number of visitors to these resort regions, whether their visitor experience is tied to mountain, ocean or lake-front activities. For more information on this program please refer to the list of Eligible Resort Municipalities, and the HRT Transfer Program Eligibility Requirements.
 

Community Revitalization Tax Incentives

The Community Charter currently allows a municipality to provide for community revitalization tax incentives in order to encourage certain types of property investment and achieve other social, economic, and development opportunities. A municipality may use this tax exemption tool to address its resort revitalization objectives for all or part of the municipality.
 

Development Tools

Business Promotion Tools

Bill 11 renames the Mountain Resort Associations Act as the Resort Associations Act to allow all types of resort communities access to the benefits of a Resort Association for resort development and promotion activities. Local governments now have two options available to them for creating organizations within their communities for the promotion of the business interests of resorts (Resort Associations and Business Improvement Areas).

Contact Information