Tourism 2010 Resource Centre

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Online Visitors Follow the Olympic Flame Through BC’s Regions

Archive Story, Fall 2009:
A new partnership between Tourism BC and Coca-Cola, an official sponsor of the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay, is putting BC’s six tourism regions in the social media spotlight as the Olympic Flame travels throughout Canada on its way to Vancouver for the start of the Games.

For all 27 days that the Olympic Flame is in BC during its cross-Canada journey, Tourism BC will produce and post daily online videos that will feature torch day stories and profile unique regional tourism destinations and experiences along the way.

“This is the first time in Games history that a host tourism agency has specifically used the power of social media to connect online viewers with destinations and travel experiences via the Olympic Torch Relay journey,” said Paul Clark, Director of 2010 and Corporate Relations with Tourism BC.

“These online travelogues provide one more way to maximize consumer awareness of BC’s tourism assets through our involvement in the 2010 Winter Games.”

Tourism BC Field Reporter Chris Wheeler is travelling as part of the Coca-Cola torch relay convoy chronicling the excitement and inspiring local stories every day the Olympic Flame is in BC.

Each of Wheeler’s video episodes features up to two destinations or experiences from the region the Olympic Flame is passing through that day. The videos are uploaded the same day to HelloBC.com, and linked in to partner sites and other social media channels, such as Tourism BC’s branded YouTube channel to maximize reach.

A high-profile link on HelloBC.com sends people to a dedicated Tourism BC torch relay landing page. There, people can tour an interactive map to browse videos by location and get travel information on the local region.

The first five videos are now posted online for viewing – capturing the excitement of the start of the Olympic Torch Relay in Victoria and the flame’s first five days in BC before heading off to the Yukon. The Olympic Flame will be welcomed back to BC on January 21, 2010 with a community celebration in Golden.

Wheeler has been gaining something of a cult status in the online travel media world lately, attracting an increasingly large and loyal following of viewers taking in his fresh and engaging travelogues throughout BC’s tourism regions and across Canada.

In addition to Coca-Cola, Tourism BC has secured the Canadian Tourism Commission as a video partner in the project to ensure national reach and to provide another referral channel to the HelloBC.com website and the Olympic Torch Relay videos from BC.

The CTC has contracted Wheeler to produce an additional 15 videos from various locations in Canada and filming is already underway. This brings to 42 the total number of Olympic Torch Relay video documentaries that will be available for potential travellers to share the excitement of the 2010 Winter Games.

Photo caption: Tourism BC's torch relay blogger Chris Wheeler interviews Olympian Carolyn Murray of Victoria (Triathlon, Beijing 2008 Games) who was chosen by Coca-Cola as a torchbearer to run on Day 2 in Cowichan Bay on Vancouver Island.