VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 10/17/13 -- When it comes to skiing, BC is the ultimate experience. The province has huge mountains, a massive number of runs, tons of snow, lots of space... the list goes on and on. It's so amazing, so immense and so unreal that it's hard to comprehend if you aren't actually here. You have to ski it to believe it! And that's the inspiration behind this year's marketing campaign aimed at attracting long-haul skiers to BC's resorts.
Targeting key markets in Ontario, California, and Washington State, Destination BC's 2013/14 North America ski campaign is designed to motivate destination skiers to learn more about the BC ski experience by connecting them with relevant resort information. A BC ski microsite, www.skiittobelieveit.com, showcases BC's 13 ski resorts and includes special offers and snow conditions. Visitors can also enter a contest to win a $15,000 ski vacation of their dreams.
To inspire destination skiers to experience skiing in BC for themselves, Destination BC has also created the 'Ultimate BC Ski Trailer' - an app that puts the user into a ski movie, which can then be shared with friends through Facebook and Twitter.
The campaign was developed in collaboration with the Canada West Ski Areas Association (CWSAA), representing BC's 13 export ready ski resorts. The campaign runs through March 2014 with a budget of $1.6 million.
Why It Matters:
-- Ski is the biggest driver of tourism revenues in BC during the winter
months. In 2012, BC ski resorts saw over 6.5 million skier visits, of
which, 46% were destination skiers from outside BC.
-- BC plays a large role in the overall Canadian ski market, accounting for
one-third or 34% of all skier visits in Canada in the 2012/2013 season
(Canada West Ski Areas Association).
Quote(s):
Andrea Shaw, Board Chair, Destination British Columbia:
"British Columbia has some of the best skiing in the world and we are committed to supporting the industry by effectively marketing BC's destination ski resorts to increase visitation. We are building BC's ski brand outside of the province by taking our ski message into markets not easily reached by the resorts themselves."
Shirley Bond, Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Minister Responsible for Labour:
"BC's tourism industry has tremendous potential to lead our economy forward. That's why we identified tourism as one of the key future growth sectors in our BC Jobs Plan. As a particular area of potential tourism growth, BC's ski industry is unmatched. We're proud to see Destination BC and the ski industry promote BC's extraordinary ski experiences through this highly effective marketing campaign."
David Lynn, President and CEO Canada West Ski Areas Association:
"BC is home to a diverse variety of world class ski resorts, enhanced by consistent and abundant snowfalls. The Canada West Ski Areas Association is very appreciative of the fact that Destination BC provides strong marketing support for BC ski resorts. We are confident that this program will drive significant benefits for the ski industry and BC tourism generally."
Learn More:
To view the 'Ski It To Believe It' video, please visit: www.skiittobelieveit.com/why-ski-bc/.
Destination British Columbia is an industry-led Crown corporation that works collaboratively with tourism stakeholders across the province to coordinate marketing at the international, provincial, regional and local levels. For more information about Destination British Columbia's programs and services, please visit: www.DestinationBC.ca.
Contacts:
Media Contact: Destination British Columbia
Clare Mason
Manager, Corporate Communications and Stakeholder Relations
250 952-6024
Clare.Mason@gov.bc.ca
www.DestinationBC.ca
