The Penticton & Wine Country Chamber of Commerce wants to know what you think!

Click here to take our March survey

In September, the federal government proposed amendments to the Excise Tax Act that would eliminate the Visitor Rebate Program (VRP), effective April 1, 2007.

Currently through the VRP, foreign tourists are reimbursed the GST they pay on accommodation and eligible retail items purchased in Canada.

While not yet law, many in the tourism industry are concerned about the impact this will have on our economy.

According to a petition circulated by the Travel Industry Association of Canada (TIAC), one of the groups most strongly against the proposed changes, eliminating the VRP will cost the Canadian economy millions of dollars and thousands of lost jobs.

In a highly competitive international travel market, the VRP is considered an attractive travel incentive. If this program is cut, it could send foreign visitors the wrong message about Canada. Can we afford to take that chance?

In Penticton, we have a broad enough economic base that we do not need to rely entirely on tourism dollars for our sustainability as some communities do; however, for many local businesses, their main revenue is generated from visitors.

Where are these out-of-town guests coming from? Statistics from the Wine Country Visitor Centre show that, in 2006, most of our visitors hailed from British Columbia or Albert and, thus, not affected by the VRP.

In fact, less than 5 percent of all travellers to Penticton last year were from outside of Canada, the majority coming from the United States.

This may seem a bit surprising considering that we are less than an hour?s drive north of a major American border crossing, but the US ?rubber traffic? that once frequented the popular Highway 97 corridor has decreased significantly in recent years.

Blame it on a strong Canadian dollar, post 9/11 terrorism fears or new passport requirements for US visitors. Whatever the reason, we?re just not seeing the same volume of Americans travelling to the Okanagan.

Fortunately, the number of people vacationing here from other communities within BC and Alberta has increased enough that we are no longer reliant on American travellers to bolster our local tourism industry.

In the five-year Destination Marketing Strategy released by the Tourism Advisory Council last year, the key target markets identified for Penticton are: Vancouver and the Lower Mainland, Calgary and Southern Alberta, and Edmonton and Northern Alberta.

Even though Americans are no longer at the top of the list of visitors we would like to attract, they are still important, as are our other foreign guests. Having international travellers here enriches our community and, ultimately, improves our national economy.

If the VRP encourages more people to come to Canada, then it?s worth supporting.

It?s a great time to be part of the chamber movement in Penticton! Not only are we in our centennial year - that?s right folks you heard it here first: the chamber predates the City of Penticton - we recently held our first ?centennial roundtable?. It was a great collection of people discussing your ideas and what you want to see in your 100 year celebration. We have our marching orders, so stay tuned to upcoming newsletters and events!

The economy in Penticton is strong, with new buildings and businesses springing up everywhere to help better serve our community. We know that the needs of our constantly growing membership are now more diverse than ever. We need new ways to for our members to interact with the chamber. In response to this the membership committee has asked ?how can we help our members more??

We are glad to announce that we are upgrading our Chamber Ambassador program and started a Chamber Mentor program. Both programs will include educational components, bringing new skills that will help them to connect and communicate with our members. Either program will help connect people with other businesses in a way that fits your schedule. This Tuesday March 20th, 2007 at 5:00 PM we are having an Ambassador/ Mentor Information night in the chamber boardroom. Please come and bring a friend as there will something for everyone- food, refreshments, networking and some education. RSVP the Chamber 492.4103, if you plan to attend. I look forward to seeing you all there!

When Tim Redpath and Charmis De Boer attended different 2010 Commerce Centre Business Opportunities workshops to learn about how their companies could benefit from 2010-related opportunities, they had no idea they would end up as partners on a winning bid. Tim Redpath, manager of the Coquitlam-based commercial division of Williams Moving & Storage, signed up for a workshop hosted by the 2010 Commerce Centre to find out about potential transportation needs connected to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. He said the workshop inspired him to look for opportunities in areas he hadn't considered before.

"It opened my eyes to looking harder and deeper for opportunities," Redpath said. "It gave me the information I needed."

We have just finished a successful first quarter board meeting in Vancouver. The year has already been an active one as I?m sure it has been in your business or chamber.

Our focus in Vancouver was the Pacific Gateway initiative. For many in Canada, this initiative seems far removed and irrelative. Let me assure you that it is not. It was very apropos for me, personally, to juxtapose this board meeting and its insights with my recent trip to China.

This Monday Morning Memo from the Wizard Academy is brought to you by 100.7 Giant FM Radio

10 Unusual Ways to Advertise

Are you a one-person company with a lunch-money ad budget?

Good News: Time and money are interchangeable. You can always save one by spending more of the other.

When money is tight, spend time.
(If you don't have any money AND you don't have any time, then you're spending your time on the wrong things.)

The key to low-budget advertising is to focus on small groups and individuals.

How to Find and Retain Valuable Employees

British Columbia is facing an increasingly urgent skills shortage in all business sectors. This presents a unique challenge to employers who are interested in growing their teams and building their businesses.

How then, do you attract and retain valuable employees in this new employee-focused culture? One of the keys to employee loyalty and longevity is promoting a work-life balance within the company. This may involve a variety of initiatives, including:

• Flexible schedules that accommodate personal obligations
• Job sharing
• Childcare, supporting parents in finding care for their children is important
• Professional development funds
• Make sure to acknowledge every important milestones
• Annual benefits reviews
• Frequent employee surveys
• Maximize every employee?s employment potential by avoiding ?pigeon-holing?

The Chamber of Commerce offers affordable extended health and dental plans to ALL Chamber Members!

One of the many advantages of belonging to the Penticton and Wine Country Chamber of Commerce is access to an affordable and comprehensive group health and dental plan!

D. Brown Financial
201-2141 Springfield Road
Kelowna, BC V1Y 7X1
Phone: (250) 768.4285
Toll Free: 1.866.685.8366
Fax: 1.877.818.0904
Cell: (250) 878.1055
Email: dbfinancial@shawbiz.ca

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Tel 250.764.6237
Toll free 1.866.678.6237