By the early part of 2013, some Moose Jaw hotels might have a voluntary destination-marketing fee.
“We’re really at that tipping point. It’s either going to go or not go and I really am encouraged by the leadership shown by Temple Gardens (Mineral Spa) and Heritage Inn,” said Moose Jaw’s economic development officer Deb Thorn.
“I think one of the fears that people have is that if there is a destination-marketing fee, the city would reduce its funding to companies like Tourism Moose Jaw and that is certainly not the case … It’s an add-on, not a substitution.”
The City of Moose Jaw’s economic development commission has been working to facilitate the process of local hotels organizing such a fee for some time. A consultant has been working on it since February. Thorn said she is hopeful to see a decision made on whether to proceed by the end of December or early 2013.
She said the commission has met with hotel management and all of the information is out there. Right now, the commission is waiting on hotels for the green light.
“What (the fee) does is it impacts the bottom line … It could be a really good thing,” said Thorn. “It’s really in their court. We’ve done everything we can to provide information, remove barriers, open the gateway and they really have to make, now, a commitment to move forward.”
For more information, see an upcoming edition of the Times-Herald.
