Members of the HG Tourism Association heard the islands have been approved to the community tourism foundations program, when they met in Masset last week (Oct. 9).HGTA president Andrew Merilees said the program will be able to bring islanders together, and possibly resurrect the tourism strategy of a few years ago. He's happy the islands are part of the program, which will be coordinated by the province with municipalities and other levels of government. Mr. Merilees says Tourism BC is trying to get a meeting set up in November.In other tourism association news, it received approval from the regional district for funding for a back drop to use at consumer shows, and will be looking to members for suggestions about what to display at the next meeting.Mr. Merilees says the plan is to have it available for tourism shows early in the new year.Also discussed was the number of familiarization tours on the islands over the summer. Mr. Merilees says there were a total of ten, which brought writers from several publications here. Of those ten, he says articles have already appeared in six, including the Globe and Mail, the Victoria Times-Colonist, Western Living, and the Canadian Surfer magazine.The association's next meeting is planned for Tuesday Nov. 13, in the south end.