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Tourism groups one step closer to unifying

The Penticton Hospitality Association voted on Tuesday in favour to merge with Tourism Penticton as a unified organization.

The Penticton Hospitality Association voted on Tuesday in favour to merge with Tourism Penticton as a unified organization to promote the city.

Now they wait for Tourism Penticton to host its annual general meeting on Friday to vote on the same issue.

“Hopefully Tourism will get the same mandate. We went out in September and talked to all our members and heard loud and clear that people didn’t see the value in two organizations,” said Barb Haynes, PHA president. “They felt it was a waste in terms of cost and administration and confusing brands.”

With strong encouragement from the city, the two groups started talks to develop a plan in January.

“I am positive that if the vote is in favour then we will start working on this quickly. But, it won’t happen overnight. There are bylaws and constitutions and figuring out what the new organization will look like. Then that will all have to be taken back to the members to vote on, so there will be some back and forth,” said Haynes. “It will be a lot of work but anything worth doing requires the energy.”

The PHA annual general meeting on Tuesday had 20 members in attendance voting out of a possible 43, all were in favour with one person abstaining.

“We physically went out on the street to check in with the other members. Lots of them are small family operations and I think the overwhelming message has been lets get back to one organization, one brand and one opportunity,” said Haynes.

If the merge occurs, Haynes said the marketing work already planned by both tourism groups will continue simultaneously until the new organization and structure is decided.

Rob Appelman, owner of the Lakeside Villa, and past-president of the PHA, said he abstained from voting. He remains concerned that not enough is being done to market Penticton now, and that putting together the new organization might take until September.

“Where are they advertising? What are they doing for this year to bring people in?” asked Appelman, adding that he didn’t receive any information at the meeting regarding PHA activities.

Haynes said both the PHA and Tourism Penticton have plans that have long been in motion for the upcoming summer tourism season. She added the PHA assisted in funding trips to U.S. trade shows to promote the area. In March a group representing Granfondo, Hoodoo Adventures, Tourism Penticton and the Lakeside Resort were at the Seattle Bike Show. According to the cycling show’s website, it ran concurrently with the Travel Adventure and Gear Expo, the Seattle Golf and Travel Show and the Youth Sports and Recreation Expo. They estimated 18,000 people attended the entire event, including all three of the expos, over the weekend. Haynes said she is excited for the potential of the upcoming summer tourist season.

“People will see a shift for a couple of reasons. The economy in Alberta will have some impact and certainly the low Canadian dollar will have an impact. We are hoping being at the U.S. trade shows will attract a market as well,” said Haynes. “Hearing back from partner events, their sales are going well and they have great optimism about the market. We are in a place that we feel people are wanting to come to and there is still a great opportunity to continue to introduce Penticton to people who have not been here before.”

Mayor Andrew Jakubeit said he is pleased the PHA voted in favour of the one voice initiative, and is waiting to see what happens at Tourism Penticton’s AGM on March 18.

“We are hopeful and optimistic that their stakeholders also see it as an opportunity to rebrand Penticton as that premiere destination,” said Jakubeit. “It is not just talk, it is actually action, it is actually sort of happening. I think everyone is sort of realizing that one voice can be better leveraged than several.”

Jakubeit isn’t concerned the city will lose a season of marketing as the deal gets put together.

“I don’t think everything has stopped, as some people asserted,” said Jakubeit. “There is still strategies in play now and everyone is eager to crack away at it.

“I think everyone is trying to not lose momentum.”

On Tuesday, the PHA also voted in board members for 2016 including Haynes (president), Jessica Agur Dolan (vice-president), Barb Schneiderat (secretary/treasurer), Christine Galloway (director), Jas Johal (director), Bing Wu (director), Paul Buttar (director) and Jackie Frederick (director).

-With files from Kristi Patton