Port Hardy council received a letter from Visitor Centre Manager Louisa Bates, requesting $250 in funding support for the Port Hardy &Vancouver Island North Familiarization Tour.
“The Port Hardy Visitor Centre is excited to announce that the organization is a successful recipient of Destination British Columbia’s 2017 Visitor Services Innovation Fund Grant!” wrote Bates.
“With this news, the Port Hardy Visitor Centre will be commencing with the planning and coordination of a Port Hardy &Vancouver Island Familiarization Tour.”
Bates continued, stating the Port Hardy &Vancouver Island North Familiarization Tour is aimed to provide local and regional visitor centre teams with an opportunity to experience a variety of the tourism products and services available in Port Hardy and across the North Island region to improve the level and quality of visitor service delivery.
The three-and-a-half day tour, starting June 15, focuses on incorporating a wide-range of activity types that Port Hardy visitors commonly inquire about, as well as highlighting local features and unique attributes that shape the Port Hardy &North Island visitor experience.
The tentative itinerary includes a sampling of Port Hardy and North Island tourism opportunities including wildlife viewing, an aboriginal cultural tour, visits to the museums and interpretive centres, a flight seeing tour, and a trip to local beaches and trails.
In addition, provide a well-rounded experience, the tour also encompasses opportunities to explore a range of Port Hardy’s accommodations and food and beverage services.
“It is the objective of the Port Hardy &Vancouver Island North Familiarization Tour to increase the reach and accessibility of Port Hardy visitor information services,” wrote Bates. “The tour will provide front-line representatives of neighbouring communities with an opportunity to gain greater knowledge of Port Hardy and the North Island. This will provide visitor counsellor an enhanced ability to share and deliver reliable, accurate, and representative information about our beautiful community, Port Hardy tourism operators and service providers and of those across the North Island Region.”
Bates added the Port Hardy Visitor Centre would like to invite the District of Port Hardy to support the initiative with a sponsorship of $250.
“The local tourism community has welcomed the project well, with different businesses and organizations offering support to the efforts. All sponsors and supporters of the initiative will be acknowledged at the welcoming event as well as on any resources and materials that are developed on behalf of the tour.”
Port Hardy council agreed to donate the $250 sponsorship to the visitor centre.