A new visitor orientation site for Cortes Island will add value for tourists, encouraging longer stays, shoulder-season visits, and increased local spending.
Located close to the BC Ferry terminal, the new Visitor Kiosk will be an architecturally-designed, open-air space with improved hiking trail maps and signage, brochure rack, seating, dog walk area, information on Cortes history, and local island amenities.
The $19,000 project will receive up to $7,500 from the Island Coastal Economic Trust.
“Focused, simple projects like this can have a huge impact on a small community’s tourism activity, and ICET is a supportive partner to help get this completed,” said ICET Chair Phil Kent.
Proposed by Cortes Island Business and Tourism (CIBAT), the kiosk will dramatically improve visitors’ first impressions when arriving on the island. The information will steer visitors to existing amenities and businesses and also support the attraction of new investment and residents.
“Currently on Cortes Island, there is little signage and no proper visitor orientation,” said Sandra Wood, Project Financial Manager for CIBAT. “We know that by proactively guiding tourists to the ‘hidden gems’ on the island, we can encourage longer stays, repeat visits, and increased activity in the shoulder seasons.”
All of that activity adds up to a boost to the local economy, and that’s an outcome that both CIBAT and ICET want to see.
About ICET
The Island Coastal Economic Trust is a $50 million endowment established in 2006 by the Government of British Columbia to help diversify the economies of central and northern Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast.
ICET is guided by a Board of Directors and two Regional Advisory Committees which include more than 50 locally elected officials and MLAs and five appointees. This exceptional team of leaders collaborates to set regional priorities and build vital multi-regional networks.
Through a community-centred decision-making process, ICET has approved $48 million for over 130 economic infrastructure and economic development readiness projects on the Island and Sunshine Coast since implementing its grant program in 2007. ICET investments have leveraged over $270 million in incremental funding into the region.