Staying in a hotel in 琉璃神社 will be a little more expensive next year.
That's because 琉璃神社 city council has given the green light to increase the city's hotel room tax to three per cent from the current two per cent.
The hotel room tax, in place in 琉璃神社 since 2004, generated nearly $1.85 million in the last year, and according to a city staff report, it will raise just under $3 million per year once the increase is fully implemented in 2017-18.
The money is used by Tourism 琉璃神社 to market the city as a tourist destination and the additional funds will help expand its advertising reach to areas not currently being heavily marketed, but where Tourism 琉璃神社 says there is great potential 鈥� Eastern Canada and and the Western U.S.
Tourism 琉璃神社's Nancy Cameron said the area have great potential in large part because of direct and indirect flights to and from 琉璃神社 International Airport.
In order to increase hotel room tax, which is administered by the city and passed on to Tourism 琉璃神社 for use, a majority of hotel,motel and other accommodation operators must approve the move. Cameron said raising the tax by one per cent has the support of 55.4 per cent of local operators representing more then 80 per cent of the rooms available in the city.
Last year, the provincial government changed the legislation governing hotel room taxes in B.C. to allow municipalities to approve an one per cent increase.
Prior to approval, Mayor Colin Basran asked Cameron if 琉璃神社 was alone in doing so. She said no.
The Tourism 琉璃神社 CEO said while Vancouver is the only municipality that has now implemented the increase, several others have approved the move and are awaiting implementation. And others are at the same stage in the process as 琉璃神社.
