Six months before British Columbia is set to host the 2010 Olympic Games, the provincial government is scrapping the program in charge of promoting tourism in the province.

Tourism BC, a Crown corporation, will be folded into the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts. The decision is being hailed as a move to lower administrative costs and harmonize marketing initiatives in the province.

The changes will come into effect in April 2010. The board of directors will immediately be replaced by a minister's advisory council.

B.C. Tourism Minister Kevin Krueger says shutting down the corporation will help use the money spent on tourism more efficiently.

He argues doing so will make it easier to ensure the entire province benefits from the Olympics.

"It is the way to move ahead with maximum strength on ... the resources that we have and to make sure nothing is overlooked with regards to capitalizing on the great opportunity that we have before us," said Krueger.

Tourism BC was created in 1997 as a marketing arm for the province.

The New Democrats are calling the decision a cut, which they say will hurt efforts to bring in tourists from around the world.

"Tourism BC's plan of doubling tourism by 2015 is really in doubt now," said tourism critic Spencer Herbert.

Herbert also tried to link the news to his party's ongoing campaign against the Liberal government's decision to introduce a harmonized sales tax.

The tourism industry has been among the groups opposed to the tax, set to be introduced next year, and Herbert suggested that's what's really behind the decision to scrap Tourism BC.

"What it looks like to me is that this is retribution to the tourism industry for their outspokenness on the HST," he said.

The president of the Council of Tourism Associations said the announcement caught his group off guard.

"It's hard to provide that steady hand on industry when big changes, big decisions are made," said Steve Regen.

"We're just going to have to work with government and they need to help us understand all the rationale and the thinking."

With files from The Canadian Press