PENTICTON – If all the sides in Penticton's tourism dispute came to a resolution it would be a win-win situation, according to B.C's Minister of State for Tourism and Small Business.

Naomi Yamamoto was in town Friday spreading the word about the benefits of spending vacation dollars at home by taking a "stay-cation."

She also commented on the schism in Penticton over control of the hotel room tax.

The 2 per cent tax on accomodations in Penticton adds up to about $400,000 annually. The money is earmarked for marketing and is currently under the control of the Penticton Hospitality Association. Although that control is the subject of a fight between the association and the City of Penticton.

Yamamoto is aware of the friction calls the disagreement a "private dispute."

"I'm going to stay out of it," she said. "If both organizations have the best interests of the community in mind they will come to a resolution that will be a win-win."

Something that is currently benefiting tourism in B.C. right now is the low Canadian dollar which is hovering around 89 cents U.S. Yamamoto explained it's not good news for those shopping south of the border but it's great news for B.C.'s tourism sector.

The majority of visitors to B.C. venture north from the U.S. A low Canadian dollar makes an American's greenback more valuable.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Shannon Quesnel at squesnel@infotelnews.ca, call 250-488-3065 or tweet @InfoNewsPentict.