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City hopes to increase visitors to P.A.

Apr 18, 2017 | 12:00 PM

Half a million dollars could be used to draw more people and major events to Prince Albert.

Last year, the city started collecting additional dollars from hotels to go toward a fund that would be specifically used to promote major events. The tradeoff is with more people coming to the city, hotels will be busier.

After this year, the total dollar amount raised is expected to be $600,000.

At a meeting with the Destination Marketing Levy Advisory Committee on Tuesday, city manager Jim Toye is expected to present a plan on how to use the additional funds. At the moment, the plan is for organizers to submit events to the city and receive funding.

Before the meeting, Toye told paNOW funds wouldn’t be given all up front but doled out to ensure the event organizers meet the city’s criteria.

“That money will go towards hosting large events, which will bring in what they call it in the industry ‘heads in beds,’” he said. “Their facilities are going to be busier. Restaurants and all those kinds of businesses are going to be busier and our facilities will be busier. That’s the gist of it – to get people to P.A. for these events.”

So far, the idea is an outside organization would pitch an idea on what kind of event they want to bring in and for how much. Toye said the applicant would have to send progress reports before receiving additional funding. He said the process is to ensure limited amounts were spent in case an event was unsuccessful.

Toye mentioned he would like to see this plan in place for this year and stressed the hospitality sector will be the main benefactor of the fund especially during major events like next year’s the World Baseball and Softball Confederation Junior Men’s World Championship.

“It’s the businesses we’re trying to put our focus on and if we can add to the bottom line to our businesses,” he said. “We want our business community to prosper broadly but it is really driven to the hospitality industry.”

Toye explained the fund is set up specifically to support events and can’t be used to improve city facilities or go toward construction projects.

 

Jeff.labine@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @labinereporter