Tourism Burlington and Burlington Financial Improvement are merging into one group following a unanimous resolution from metropolis council.

The 2 departments signed a letter of intent with framework laid out to align on a number of areas of operation. There has beforehand been important overlap within the work that the entities do. 

“Tourism historically has dealt with the hospitality sector, whereas financial growth usually handles the enterprise group, and there’s an enormous quantity of overlap as a result of the hospitality sector is a part of the enterprise group too,” Ron Laidman, chair of the board at Burlington Financial Improvement mentioned. “From an total streaming and customer expertise, this has actual upside for everybody concerned.”

The method for the merger began roughly a yr in the past, when financial growth staff approached tourism staff about sharing assets and alternatives. 

It’s not clear but whether or not the brand new joint division will fall underneath a brand new title, or what positions and roles are anticipated to be impacted both positively or negatively. Laidman additionally touched on the potential for price saving measures which will come from streamlining. 

“We’ve already began integrating operations within the background even earlier than this announcement got here out,” Laidman mentioned. “We’ve began to rent a number of the people underneath us, and we’re beginning to put these processes in place. I feel what you’re actually going to see is extra of a streamlined providing to guests and companies.”

At present, the 2 organizations are engaged on the vacation spot stewardship plan, which Tourism Burlington kicked off earlier than the merger announcement. The plan includes constructing a strategic framework for managing and preserving Burlington’s pure, cultural, and social assets – in addition to selling accountable tourism growth, although Laidman mentioned the merger is taking the vast majority of the main focus in the interim. 

Mayor Marainne Meed Ward shared the announcement on her web site on Wednesday morning, saying it marks a pivotal second within the development of town’s financial system. 

“I help the choice of those two impartial boards of their journey to help development in Burlington’s tourism financial system,” Meed Ward mentioned in an e-mail.