For Immediate Release – August 18, 2009

Vancouver, BC – The Council of Tourism Associations (COTA) held an emergency meeting of its members early Tuesday morning, August 18 to discuss the surprise announcement by the Government of British Columbia to dissolve Tourism British Columbia.

COTA and its members accept that this decision by government is final. However, at the COTA Council meeting nearly one-hundred B.C. tourism industry leaders were united in asking COTA to communicate publicly the sentiments of industry.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- October 23, 2008

Vancouver, BC – The Council of Tourism Associations (COTA) applauds Premier Gordon Campbell’s response to the present financial instability gripping our economy, and urges other levels of government to take similarly concrete actions to support business health and consumer confidence in this uncertain time.

Click here to read the full Media Release.

COTA, with the Ministry of Tourism, Sport and the Arts and the BC Sustainable Tourism Collective, will be cohosting the Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference 2008 in October. Click here to find out more.

The Board of Directors of the Council of Tourism Association (COTA) of British Columbia is pleased to announce that Mr. Stephen Regan has been selected as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the organization effective October 1st, 2007.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                           

VANCOUVER, BC - In its analysis of the federal government's budget released today, the Council of Tourism Associations (COTA) sees increasing recognition by the federal government of the substantive benefits arising from the $62.7 billion (Canadian) tourism industry to the people of Canada.  However, the federal government still falls short of the mark in implementing a concerted strategy for the development of an industry that is both high in economic potential and low in environmental impact.  

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                            February 28, 2007

Vancouver, B.C. — The Council of Tourism Associations (COTA) is pleased to welcome to its Board of Directors its new Chair and four newly-elected Board members, who will help lead the BC tourism industry in 2007.  The elections were held at the COTA Annual General Meeting at the Victoria Convention Centre on February 21st, 2007 in conjunction with the 14th Annual BC Tourism Industry Conference.  The COTA Board comprises nine Directors, five of whom will be returning in 2007.

VANCOUVER, BC – The Council of Tourism Associations (COTA) continues to be encouraged with the direction taken by the provincial government as exemplified in its “Balanced Budget 2007.”  Several aspects of the 2007 Budget correspond with priorities identified by COTA over the past year, including an invigorated focus on measures to alleviate homelessness and poverty in urban regions, environmental protection, more disposable income for British Columbians, and other measures.