While we all know how appealing Abbotsford is in late spring and summer, locals also know there’s a lot to recommend our community year-round.
Mild temperatures and beautiful natural amenities, paired with a thriving farm-to-table culture and a wide variety of events and attractions, mean there’s always something to see, savour and do!
And stretching those visits beyond summer and into the shoulder seasons offers a variety of community benefits, spreading visitation across a longer period and boosting sustainability among accommodations, restaurants, attractions and other visitor-related businesses.
To help share what we all know, the Tourism Abbotsford offers businesses and organizations a grant to support marketing initiatives for tourism-related products, services or experiences that attract visitors to Abbotsford from September through May 2024.
The possibilities are many and diverse, notes Connie Hackett, Destination Marketing Manager with Touris Abbotsford.
A local art gallery may want to promote a new exhibit with a media event, for example, or film festival organizers may want to attract indie film lovers in Southwestern B.C. using digital ads to highlight a contest.
Maybe an Abbotsford agritourism operator wants to attend a consumer show in Vancouver to promote their experiences and products to the Metro Vancouver market, or a winery wants to promote its long-table dinners to the Seattle area by hiring a marketing agency to develop and execute a digital campaign.
On the accommodations side, a hotel might like to promote how accessible its property is by getting new imagery to use on its website and social posts, or a group of local breweries might partner with Abbotsford hotels on a Sip & Stay package to attract more visitors from Metro Vancouver.
How to qualify for a Tourism Abbotsford Marketing Grant
Businesses and organizations may only apply for one marketing grant per year. To qualify for Marketing Grant funding, applicants must:
- be a small to medium-sized tourism or hospitality-related business or organization based in Abbotsford (for those based outside of Abbotsford, but hosting an event in Abbotsford, ask about the Sports & Events Hosting Grant)
- be using marketing tactics generally intended for an audience outside of Abbotsford, and with clearly defined and measurable objectives
- be requesting grants not exceeding 75 per cent of the total marketing budget for the tactics
Note that company salaries, wages and management fees, along with GST expenses or in-kind contributions are not eligible.
How to apply
The maximum Marketing Grant is $5,000 and applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis until all funding for the year is awarded, up until April 30, 2024, Hackett notes.
Email applications to Connie Hackett at chackett@tourismabbotsford.com.