At a recent town council meeting for the Municipality of Saint Andrews, Christy Kennedy, the Chair of the Tourism Accommodation Levy Board (TALB) made a presentation to council about the work currently being done by TALB to promote the town as a tourist destination. 

TALB was created approximately three years ago to administer and collect a tourism accommodation levy on behalf of the town's tourism industry. The levy is a small fee that is charged to visitors who stay overnight in the town's hotels, inns, and other accommodations. The money collected from the levy is then used to promote and enhance the local tourism industry, such as marketing campaigns, infrastructure improvements, and tourism-related events and activities. The levy is usually set at 3%, which is charged to guests on top of GST and PST. For the 2023 season, the levy amount will be increased to 3.5% to accommodate expenses associated with marketing the town and developing tourism.

The TALB is responsible for setting the levy rate, collecting the funds, and allocating them to appropriate tourism-related projects and initiatives. It serves as a means for the local tourism industry to generate additional revenue and support the ongoing growth and development of the sector. Kennedy told council that TALB had recently completed a full revamp of the Explore Saint Andrews website (exploresaintandrews.ca), and had hired local media and PR firm Steady Creative to take over their social media and grow its following.

Overall, TALB is please with the current direction of their marketing strategy and is accepting applications from local groups and businesses for funding for festivals and events for the 2023 season.