At Monday’s council meeting, Murray Atherton, chair of Tourism Bowen, thanked council for its continued support. He presented a report outlining the growth and development of the tourism sector on Bowen, and also stated the organization’s intention to extend the tourist season past September with the aim of helping local businesses.
Atherton said the motivation for creating Tourism Bowen was the recognition that tourism and construction.
Last year, he said, visits by tourists to the information cottage beside the library rose by 27% from the year before. Based on the numbers to the booth this past Victoria Day weekend, this season’s numbers could increase again.
In an interview following the council meeting, Atherton pointed to a number of initiatives aimed at getting tourists to keep coming to Bowen well past Labour Day.
“There is a new company co-ordinating adventures on Bowen Island, with this and other initiatives bringing services together on Bowen, we hope to give people a reason to come here throughout the year,” he says. “And with money from a grant given by Destination BC, we hope to build another information kiosk on the Library lawn, so people have a more welcoming experience from the time they set foot on Bowen Island.”
