A new Visitor Information Centre will open in one of downtown Cranbrook’s historic buildings.
The new centre, operated by Cranbrook Tourism, will be opening at 800C Baker Street, in the former office of Kootenay-Columbia MP Rob Morrison.
This will be added to the existing operation of the Elizabeth Lake Centre, which will be open from June 1 to Sept. 5.
Officials with the city of Cranbrook said the location is well-situated, attached to a heritage building with many other historic elements nearby, such as the Elko Station, the Cranbrook Ed statue and the restored engine.
“This is a great location in our downtown core and will provide a unique opportunity to pilot new tourism strategies that will benefit our community,” said Darren Brewer, Business Development Officer for the City of Cranbrook. “Tourism is a pillar for growth in Cranbrook, and an important ingredient in the revitalization of downtown. This will help raise the profile of Cranbrook.”
The new location comes after Monday night’s city council meeting, where the fee-for-service agreement between the city and Cranbrook Tourism was approved.
The agreement will allow Cranbrook Tourism to provide visitor information for a one-year term, from Jan 1 to Dec. 31, 2022.
“Marketing the world-class experiences Cranbrook has to offer is just part of growing tourism in the region. We are excited to now be able to extend our work into enhancing the visitor experience with travel planning and on the ground support,” said Kristy Jahn-Smith, Executive Director of Cranbrook Tourism.
According to city officials, Cranbrook tourism will make some changes to how they deliver services. The changes will include 2,800 hours of mobile and on-demand visitor information services and attending the Cranbrook Farmers Market and other events.
The fee-for-service contract is budgeted at $66,000.