Tourism B.C. has told regional tourism agencies that promote Victoria, Vancouver and other regions to brace for possible budget cuts in 2009.

The Crown corporation recently warned the regional marketing partners to prepare budgets scenarios with "austerity measures" that will cut funds for destination advertising and visitor information centres.

In 2004, the current government tied Tourism B.C.'s budget to hotel revenues, which was revenue positive in growth years, but could now mean local agencies cut activities by as much as 20 per cent next year.

As Opposition critic for tourism, Rob Fleming is asking why the government continues to spend tens of million of tax dollars on their own ads, while demanding budgets be cut for tourism groups that contribute significantly to the provincial economy.

Given the thousands of businesses and ten of thousands of jobs in B.C.’s tourism sector, the government needs to come to the table with ideas to help the industry. Otherwise a vicious spiral could take hold, whereby declining hotel taxes leads to less marketing and then further declines in visitors and revenue.