| INDUSTRY NEWSLETTER Winter 2009/10 |  |
| The Powder Highway Ultimate Ski Bum Is? | |
Winner Chris Tatsuno to SHRED the Powder Highway in 2010 | |
| The concept was to create a campaign to promote the Powder Highway, the highest concentration of ski destinations in the world, by utilizing the power of social media. The idea for the Powder Highway Ultimate Ski Bum was pitched to our Ski & Snowboard Partners and we had all eight Ski Resorts, sixteen Heli/Cat-Ski Operators, twenty-two Accommodation Properties, plus four sponsors jump at the opportunity. We ended up with the 'Greatest Winter Getaways' ever offered, in the region! The Ultimate Ski Bum winner receives a season's pass to all eight ski resorts, sixteen days of heli/cat skiing, accommodation and a vehicle with fuel for three months (Jan - Mar 2010). A video was created to kick-start the promotion. It had to be fun, informative, creative and professionally produced to have the ability to become viral. Juicy Studios and Mitchell Scott were hired to help with creative production and they more than delivered! The 3.5 minute video that was created received rave reviews and to date has over 20,000 views. |
There were 99 video entries from contestants around the world that met the criteria and the majority were fantastic, creative and entertaining productions. On December 1, 2009 we announced the winner, as voted by the Powder Highway Ski Resorts and Chris Tatsuno from Snowmass Village, Colorado was chosen. Chris was extremely excited to hear the news and is now preparing for the winter of a lifetime. With the worldwide media soon to descend on Vancouver and the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, we are looking forward to much more coverage, website visits, blogs, tweets and global awareness of the Powder Highway and the tourism operators along the route. Statistics: Entry videos had up to 4,000 views each, 99 total entry videos Our Facebook Ad Campaign had 13 million total impressions, with 5,700 click-throughs from around the globe 100+ Ski and Snowboard specific websites from the around the world have pages the promoted the contest with links and/or the embedded video. And, the Google map that we created for the contest has had over 25,000+ views. Be sure the follow Chris Tatsuno as he shreds the Powder Highway in 2010! | |
| Follow the Olympic Torch Relay |
| January 21, 2010 the Torch Re-Enters British Columbia |
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| New Kootenay Rockies Directors |
| Meet our New Executive & Board Members |
The Kootenay Rockies Tourism Industry Conference & Annual General Meeting was held in Fernie at the Best Western Fernie Mountain Lodge on October 22, 2009. Over 70 Tourism Partners representing various businesses from around the region attended to hear speakers from the industry as well as presentations from the President and department managers of Kootenay Rockies Tourism. Keynote speaker Don Foxgord, Tourism BC’s Vice President of Partnership Marketing, gave the delegates an overview of the changes that are on-going with Tourism BC and the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts. Other presentations included:go2, The Resource for People in the Tourism Industry and the Essential Skills for the Tourism Industry (Schaun Goodeve). An Election of Officers for a two year term, for the Board of Directors took place during the Annual General Meeting. A sincere thank you goes to all of our hard working Past Directors, Don Bilodeau, Wayne Rossington and Patricia Kilback who gave countless hours of their time and the wisdom of their experience to the Association over many years. And congratulations to our new Board of Directors on their success on being elected for a two-year term. Kootenay Rockies Tourism Board of 2010/11 Mike Smith Angus McToogles/Invermere Chair Ken Fisher Canadian Rockies Hot Springs/Radium Vice-Chair Anne Pigeon Whitewater Ski Resort/Nelson 2nd Vice-Chair Mike Delich Fernie Lodging Company 3rd Vice-Chair Ken Wilder Panorama Mountain Village 4th Vice-Chair Douglas McIntosh Chattan Holdings/Radium Hot Springs Secretary/Treasurer Michael Dalzell Kicking Horse Mountain Resort/Golden Wendy Moore Kimberley Vacations Keith Powell Koocanusa Publications/Cranbrook Greg Garbula Kokanee Springs Resort/Crawford Bay Erik Kalacis Red Mountain Resort/Rossland Tyler Beckley Three Bars Guest Ranch/Cranbrook Miro Micovsky Tourism Golden Deanne Steven Tourism Rossland Wendy Van Puymbroeck St. Eugene Golf Resort & Casino/Cranbrook Thank you to everyone who attended our AGM/TIC and thanks to the Best Western Fernie Mountain Lodge, The Fernie Golf & Country Club and the Old Elevator Restaurant for the wonderful hospitality and service. And a BIG thank you to our sponsors, go2, The Resource for People in the Tourism Industry and the College of the Rockies! |
| Fall/Winter Trade Activities |
| Flight Centre Visits Powder Highway Ski Resorts |
They began their fam at Fernie Alpine Resort and continued on to Panorama Mountain Village, Kicking Horse Mountain Resort and their final day was spent at Revelstoke Mountain Resort. They had a fantastic time and increased their Kootenay Rockies ski product knowledge immensely. Here are some of the comments we have received back from the participants: “I wanted to send a BIG thank you out to BC Tourism-you guys were awesome and that was far and away the best FAM I have ever been on!” (Eric Sakawsky | National Marketing Manager). “I would like to thank you for helping put together such an amazing opportunity for us to come out and not only experience what resorts and amenities there are but for being able to wake up each morning in paradise. I know I can speak for the group that it was probably one of everyone's favourite trips ever.” (Ivona Siniarska |Team Leader, Flight Centre, Bay St, Toronto, ON). Kootenay Rockies Tourism would like to thank all of the resort partners and the community suppliers, accommodators, restaurants and Pure Travel Inc., for the tremendous support we received in putting this itinerary and fam together. We believe it will help generate lots of visits to our resorts and ski communities over the coming season from Flight Centre clients! |
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National Tour Association - Kathy Cooper attended the annual marketplace held this year in Reno, Nevada mid-November. This is the premier motorcoach show for the North American market. Appointments overall were down this year for most suppliers, which is a direct reflection of the current US travel market numbers to Canada. The US economy has not rebounded from the recession. However, this is a market that we cannot abandon from as the opportunity for growth and recovery is tremendous, especially with the attention the Olympics will put on our province and Canada. Canada's West Marketplace -This marketplace held in Victoria (Nov 30th & Dec 1st), showcases Western Canadian suppliers (Alberta and BC) together with key tour operators, wholesalers, receptives and on-line travel companies from all over the world, for a series of one on one meetings over the course of a day and a half. Kathy Cooper and Chris Dadson attended Canada’s West this year and had some very successful appointments. The FIT market is growing and operators are keen to learn about new itineraries and opportunities throughout British Columbia. Everyone is optimistic that the global economy and travel will improve by 2011. Some good news for the Kootenay Rockies is the new Air Canada flight that will be flying direct from Tokyo to Calgary and Calgary to Tokyo, three times per week beginning in March 2010. These visitors will be a captive audience for the Kootenay Rockies region and our focus will be to work with the operators & receptives on opportunities for these travellers outside of the Alberta boundaries. |
| WIN A MOUNTAIN? |
| Win a Mountain in BC's Great Mountain Giveaway |
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| Historical Novel Explores the Region's Gold Rush | |
| More than 600 copies Sold! | |
One of Kootenay Rockies long-time Board Member, Keith Powell has written a new historical novel called Living in the Shadow of Fisher Peak, about John S. (Jack) Fisher, founder of gold on Wild Horse Creek. The author made a commitment to donate $1.00 from the first 500 books he sells to place a plaque on Jack Fisher's grave—recognizing his regional significance and legacy. Congratulations Keith on this successful accomplishment. Keith Powell is founder of Kootenay Business magazine and publisher of Koocanusa Publications based in Cranbrook. He has a keen interest in Kootenay Rockies history and the many colourful characters who at one time or another called the area home. | |
| Happy Holidays from all of the Staff and Board of Directors of Kootenay Rockies Tourism | |
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December 24 - 9 am to 1 pm | |