Sunshine Coast Tourism (SCT) has announced that the organization has finalized its move from a membership to stakeholder model.
According to a media release from SCT, the partners’ website portal is now open for free registration to all Sunshine Coast tourism-related businesses and organizations. Approved registrations received prior to September 30 will be entered for a chance to win a $500 Visa gift card.
The release stated that the stakeholder model enables SCT to embrace all tourism-related businesses and organizations in the qathet and Sunshine Coast Regional Districts as industry partners, and therefore no longer requires payment of membership fees. It also creates more opportunities for collaboration among industry partners on cooperative marketing, media relations, and community projects, according to the release. The move to adopt the stakeholder model was approved by a vote of the membership at an extraordinary general meeting on February 24.
The release stated that the new website portal allows registered partners to access free industry resources and information, opt-in to various SCT programs, and learn more about the organization’s activities.
“The stakeholder model is used by tourism organizations across the province,” stated Jack Barr, SCT president. “As we continue to grow the Sunshine Coast as a sustainable year-round travel destination, we want to encourage as many local partners as possible to have a voice and help shape our growth. We believe the all-access stakeholder model will help to achieve this.”
The release stated that direct benefits for SCT stakeholders and partners include, but are not limited to: increased and targeted visitor reach through a listing on SCT’s website, sunshinecoastcanada.com; discounted cooperative advertising opportunities; access to industry sector marketing opportunities; exposure to 50,000-plus social media followers; brochure racking at the Gibsons and Sechelt Visitor Centres, and much more.
“By removing barriers to participation, we expect to grow our diverse stakeholder base,” stated SCT executive director Annie Wise. “This enables SCT to create a robust and representative tourism ecosystem that leads to year-round tourist visitation, improved local engagement and greater community support for our tourism economy. With a united effort, we’ll drive our collective recovery from the past 17 months and become an even more vibrant and resilient tourism destination.”
Qualifying businesses are encouraged to register immediately at sunshinecoastcanada.com/join. For more information, contact info@sunshinecoastcanada.com.
