Tourism Vancouver Island will no longer be solely responsible for handling tourism in Nanaimo after 2020 ends. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Spencer Sterritt

destination marketing

Tourism Vancouver Island bows out of Nanaimo contract, review underway for replacement

Oct 26, 2020 | 5:27 AM

NANAIMO — Shifting priorities after the COVID-19 pandemic has brought changes to who handles the Tourism Nanaimo file.

Tourism Vancouver Island, one year into a five year contract and three years into working with the City of Nanaimo, opted out of their contract in the summer. They’ll remain in charge for the end of the year and beyond as the City reviews how to effectively market Nanaimo to tourists and investors.

Anthony Everett, CEO of Tourism Vancouver Island, told NanaimoNewsNOW they had to opt out of the Tourism Nanaimo contract to keep a strong focus on their priority of helping businesses recover from the pandemic.

“We’re more than oversubscribed working with all the communities and businesses to adapt to COVID-19,” he said.

“We’re looking at a recovery time of years. When looking at our own operations and where we’d moved the City of Nanaimo to from a brand perspective, we felt it was a good time (to move on).”

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Tourism Vancouver Island launched a resiliency program for several hundred businesses in April, revolving around marketing in the post-COVID economy and providing advice to owners.

“In Nanaimo’s case, there’s lots of other groups that can pick this file up. Our job is to work with all the communities, no matter what,” Everett said.

The organization will continue to operate the visitors centre on the Nanaimo Pwy. until a new model is created by the City.

Richard Harding, general manger of parks, recreation and culture with the City, told NanaimoNewsNOW they’re in the early stages of crafting a new approach to tourism with the assistance of a consultant.

“We’re working with tourism stakeholders to review what needs and desires are out there. We’re review delivery options and go to Council with some options going forward.”

Nanaimo tourism is a file which many have handled in recent years.

Tourism Vancouver Island first took it on three years ago after the file was pulled from the City’s in-house economic branch, a branch which itself was shuttered several months later.

“We’ve had contractors come and go over the years in different areas and this is one of those,” Harding said. “We’re used to changing direction and looking at different things.”

spencer@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @SpencerSterritt