From airline pilots, chefs and hotel managers to wait staff and taxi drivers, the brightest star of the B.C. tourism industry is its workforce. March 24 is your chance to honour those who make our province proud.

March 24, 2003, is British Columbia's first Tourism Ambassador Day. Businesses throughout the province are being invited to join the Council of Tourism Associations of BC (COTA) and its partners in recognizing the employees who make this province a great destination. While COTA gets ready to announce the winners of the first ever Ambassador Awards on March 24 in Victoria, businesses all around B.C. are also being encouraged to use this day to celebrate the exemplary work of the 267,000 tourism-related employees that keep visitors coming year after year.
The provincial government is proclaiming March 24, 2003, as Tourism Ambassador Day in British Columbia, marking the important contribution tourism and everyone working in the industry makes to the economic prosperity of our province.
Let's Put On a Show! Tourism Ambassador Day is a great opportunity to show the people of British Columbia just how big a role our industry plays in every community. Find a way to mark Tourism Ambassador Day in YOUR organization and community. The event could be a small on-site project - or something that involves the whole community. One thing is for sure - people in our industry are creative and enthusiastic - so let's show the people of British Columbia why our industry is so successful. And when Tourism Ambassador Day is over, let us know how you marked the event in your community. We'll publish a description of the most creative and successful events. Send your event summary to cotaadmin@telus.net.

The Ambassador Awards are designed to honour all tourism-related employees in the industry and draw attention to the many faces promoting tourism throughout the regions. One winner was chosen from each of the six tourism regions thanks to COTA partners the Vancouver Sun and Province, the Vernon Go Award, Kelowna's Exceptional Service Under the Sun, the Victoria Hospitality Awards, the Vancouver Tourism Awards, Northern BC Tourism Association, the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Tourism Association, and BC Rockies Tourism Association.

All six tourism ambassadors will be recognized in the provincial Legislature and at a luncheon in Victoria, hosted by the Honourable Rick Thorpe, Minister of Competition, Science and Enterprise. The winners, who were selected by a panel of regional tourism officials and program partners, will be formally announced on March 24 at a ceremony in Victoria.

More information on the 2003 Ambassador Awards is coming soon. Visit www.cotabc.com.