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BC Sport Tourism Events Marketplace The Second Annual British Columbia Sport Tourism Events Marketplace was held in Vancouver, BC on March 22, presented through a partnership of Tourism British Columbia, 2010 Legacies Now and the Ministry of Tourism, Sport and the Arts. Representatives from 26 BC communities and 25 Provincial Sport Organizations explored partnerships in sport event hosting, discussed hosting experiences, facility inventories and ways to maximize the benefits of sport tourism and event hosting. The event was held at the Empire Landmark Hotel and Conference Centre and also featured keynote speaker Ursula Gobel from the Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance, followed by a panel discussion of best practices in sport event hosting. The Visitor Centre Network has a new look and name
Tourism BC has launched a new BC Visitor Centre brand. As part of a new vision for all Visitor Centres, Tourism BC aims to better inform travellers about the services and products offered at each location by offering full-service centres. Be on the lookout for the new logo, featuring the international "i" symbol. Aboriginal Tourism Leaders Honoured at Awards Gala The Aboriginal Tourism Association of British Columbia (ATBC) honoured eight industry leaders at the 2006 Aboriginal Tourism BC Awards Gala, held in Vancouver on March 25. The awards recognize entrepreneurs and organizations that are leading the way in developing innovative Aboriginal tourism experiences. "The future for Aboriginal tourism has never been brighter thanks to the leadership and contribution of this year's remarkable slate of award winners," said Brenda Baptiste, chair of ATBC. "A special thank you also needs to go to our many sponsors who have helped make our awards program such a success." Awards were presented in eight categories. Recipients represent a wide cross section of the Aboriginal tourism industry and regions of the province:
"ATBC's vision is to foster a vibrant and sustainable Aboriginal tourism sector throughout BC. The achievements of this year's award recipients, and all those who have been recognized before them, demonstrate that we are well on our way to realizing this vision," said Baptiste. ATBC gratefully acknowledges the support of Industry Canada and Aboriginal Business Canada in presenting the 2006 Aboriginal Tourism Awards. ATBC is also pleased to announce that this year also marks the beginning of a new five-year $20,000 awards partnership with Coast Hotels & Resorts. Other award sponsors include: BC Hydro, Coast Capital Savings, RBC Financial Group, GT Hiring Solutions, Plutonic Power, Fortis BC, Hydromax, BC Ferries, BMO Bank of Montreal, Capilano College, Dokie Wind Energy, Knight Piesold, Murray W. Browne Law, Malaspina, Ayjoomixw Concepts, Salmon Trail-Richard Krentz, Harbour Air Seaplanes, and Pacific Coastal Airlines. Four British Columbia Hotel Properties Recognized in 2007 Condé Nast Guide International luxury hotel guide publisher, Condé Nast Johansens, announced that four British Columbian hotel properties will be included in their 2007 edition of Recommended Hotels, Inns, Resorts & Spas - The Americas, Atlantic, Caribbean, Pacific. The Wickaninnish Inn located in Tofino, Villa Marco Polo in Victoria, and The Wedgewood Hotel and Spa and The Sutton Place, both located in Vancouver have been selected. Condé Nast Johansens is the most comprehensive illustrated luxury guide to hotels, inns, resorts, and spas throughout the Americas, Great Britain and Europe, and the only guidebook that carries the Condé Nast seal of approval. The Condé Nast Johansens Awards for Excellence are made annually to those properties worldwide that represent the finest standards and best value for money in luxury and independent travel. "Our readers are based all over the globe and trust the guide when they are planning domestic and international travel" said Lesley O'Malley-Keyes, Condé Nast Johansens vice president, in a press release. "Many times, they are travelling independently of a group and depend on excellent recommendations for accommodations." go2 Moving to New Downtown Vancouver Location go2, the BC tourism industry's human resources association and the distributor of Serving It Right, BC's mandatory responsible beverage service program, will move on May 1, 2006, to a new location in downtown Vancouver. Effective May 1, 2006, the new address will be: New Phone/Fax Number: Please note that Serving It Right and Foodsafe correspondence course materials will not be available at the Surrey location once the office moves to Vancouver. The Serving It Right certification program is available 24/7 online at: www.servingitright.com. Four Times a Winner for RV-Friendly BC The Province of British Columbia has been selected as the winner of the 2006 Welcome Mat Award, on behalf of the Good Sam Club, the world's largest membership organization of recreational vehicle (RV) owners. Good Sam Club members have voted to select Tourism British Columbia as one of the most "RV-Friendly" organizations. The Good Sam Club is an organization of nearly one million families who own RVs. Those members were eligible to vote for the most RV friendly businesses and organizations that go out of their way to recognize the needs of RVers. British Columbia was selected by Good Sam Club members as their favourite. As a result, British Columbia will now receive extensive publicity in Good Sam publications, at Club events, and on the Good Sam Club website as the "most RV Friendly Province to Visit." The awards presentation was held on the evening of April 7, 2006, during The Rally at the Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Florida. Thousands of Good Sam Club members and other RVers were in attendance. The Good Sam Club began 40 years ago when a group of RV owners put Good Samaritan bumper stickers on their rigs so fellow members would know they could get help on the road. The organization is now 1 million RVing families strong and still growing. Tourism Victoria Celebrates a Fresh Face After an intensive year-long branding project, Tourism Victoria launched its new destination brand to an enthusiastic audience of over 300 tourism professionals and community leaders at The Fairmont Empress Hotel in Victoria on March 7. The event celebrated the unveiling of the tools for Tourism Victoria's new creative marketing strategy, including a new logo, tagline (slogan), consumer advertising concepts, as well as a new visual corporate identity. Using brand perception research results, Tourism Victoria developed a Brand Promise statement to define the destination's brand imagery and to express what makes Victoria a "one-of-a-kind" destination. "Through the guidance of consumers, stakeholders and brand experts, we have developed a vibrant approach to market one of the world's favourite destinations," said Melissa McLean, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications for Tourism Victoria. "Our new advertising creative celebrates our beloved old world traditions while inviting the world to discover Victoria's new world experiences such as adventure tourism, spas, destination golf experiences and culinary tourism." With the new destination brand in place Tourism Victoria is eager to rise to the challenges that lay ahead. "Our exciting new destination brand has given us a renewed sense of vigor as we strive to meet Victoria's share of Premier Campbell's challenge to double tourism revenues in British Columbia by 2015," said Lorne Whyte, President & CEO of Tourism Victoria. With a fresh face and new strategic vision in hand, Tourism Victoria is set to showcase a rejuvenated image of Victoria, British Columbia to the world. Northern British Columbia Tourism Association Announces Acting Chief Executive Officer The Northern British Columbia Tourism Association (NBCTA) welcomed Tracy Calogheros as Chief Executive Officer in February as Dawn-lisa Sethen departs for maternity leave until September 5, 2006. Calogheros has been on NBCTA's board of directors for three years, serving as president for two of those years. Having recently completed a two-day strategic planning session for NBCTA's next five years, she is intimately familiar with the unique opportunities and challenges that arise in promoting tourism in the north. Trained as a Visual Artist at York University, Calogheros currently serves as the Executive Director at The Exploration Place in Prince George. She is also the Chair of the Tourism Sub Committee of the Prince George Spirit of BC Community Committee, is a member of the Prince George Chamber of Commerce Tourism Committee and sits on the Initiatives Prince George Tourism Advisory Council. She additionally sits on the Executive Committee of the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design Board of Governors, serves as Vice Chair of the British Columbia Museums Association Board of Directors and is a member of the National Selection Committee for the Broadband Pilot Program. Calogheros is also a member of the Canadian Museums Association and the Canadian Association of Science Centres. Born in Toronto, Calogheros has lived in Prince George since 1992 and enjoys the outdoors, cultural heritage and the arts. For more information on Northern British Columbia, visit www.northernbctourism.com. |
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