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McIvor, Ziptrek to promote B.C. in San Francisco

Provincial tourism ministry, CTC focusing on post-Olympic awareness

A Whistler company and a Whistler Olympic gold medalist will be promoting British Columbia in San Francisco this month.

Whistler-based Ziptrek Ecotours will be operating a 600-foot zipline in San Francisco's Embarcadero Square from April 8 to 18 as part of the Ministry of Tourism's B.C. Experience showcase.

Olympic ski cross champion Ashleigh McIvor will be among the first to launch the zipline and participate in a public autograph session. McIvor will be appearing with U.S. speed skater Shani Davis, also an Olympic gold medalist.

"We've just finished hosting the largest and most successful celebrations in the world and the zipline in Robson Square was obviously one of the most popular public activities during the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games," said Kevin Krueger, Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts. "We want to bring that excitement to San Francisco, a city that is one of our key markets for attracting new travellers, to show people the diverse range of travel experiences they can find in B.C. and invite them to visit."

The B.C. Experience is part of a post-Olympic North American consumer marketing campaign that will use online advertising, social media and search marketing to reach potential visitors. The campaign will reach out to consumers who have already expressed interest in travel to B.C. and present customized offers based on their interests.

The campaign will focus on a range of experiences including golf, food and wine, and outdoor adventure to create a greater depth of interest in experiencing B.C.'s tourism products.

In addition to Ziptrek's zipline the B.C. Experience will include public dance performances by the Aboriginal dance group Le-La-La Dancers, an interactive video display featuring videos of B.C., a 3-D art installation and an updated version of the "You Gotta Be Here" advertising campaign in subway stations throughout the city.

The Canadian Tourism Commission is also hosting its annual U.S. Media Marketplace in San Francisco April 12-14, at which over 150 U.S.-based travel writers and editors will meet with Canadian tourism representatives.

As a result of the Olympic marketing campaign, the number of Americans in the target demographic considering a leisure trip to B.C. has nearly doubled. This increase represents nearly nine million more potential U.S. visitors, according to the Ministry of Tourism.

Approximately 14 per cent of U.S. visitors to B.C. come from California.