Two Foothills organizations are combining to promote business and tourism.

Cool Little Towns recently announced they will be transitioning all assets and operations into the Foothills Tourism Association by the end of the month.

Originally founded following the 2013 floods, Cool Little Towns was intended to be a collaborative marketing effort between communities to bring tourism and business back to communities South of Calgary.

During it's six years of operation, the municipal-based organization has worked with a number of communities including Black Diamond, Bragg Creek, Foothills County, High River, Longview, Nanton, Okotoks and Turner Valley.

Chair of Cool Little towns Monique Leblanc says this doesn't spell the end for Cool Little Towns.

"It's the end of Cool Little Towns as an entity but certainly not in terms of its efforts to continue to market the area. It will fold into Foothills Tourism Association and provide some of its assess which include the imagery, the tours, as well as some of the content that existed in its website."

She says the joining of the two organizations was an obvious choice, with Cool Little Town's recognizable branding and years of experience complimenting Foothills Tourism Association's dedicated contributors and membership base. She says at the end of the day, both organizations were created with the same goal.

"The primary objective, and what we hope will be mutually beneficial to both organizations is that we will be able to grow the tourism opportunities within the region, and we'll be able to support business together without a duplication of the services."

Leblanc says in its six years of existence, Cool Little Towns completed many of its original goals, such as increasing tourism and engagement with local business through tours, branding, and online marketing, as well as collaborating with similar organizations such as Visit Nanton and Our High River.

All of Cool Little Town's assets and operations are expected to have transitioned to the Foothills Tourism Association by the end of August.

 

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