VANCOUVER, BC--(Marketwired - August 03, 2016) - Got "vacation envy" over a friend's travel posts? Wish you were there, too? Yearning for new adventures in BC but not sure where to start?
Destination BC has the perfect solution. The destination marketing organization has created the BC Explorer -- an innovative travel planning tool designed to inspire travel to British Columbia. It lets potential travellers go beyond merely "liking" a photo to actually planning a trip.
The BC Explorer features more than 500 images from travellers and local photographers, curated from the #exploreBC hashtag -- which has now been used over 1.6 million times on Instagram. Refreshed weekly, the photos can be filtered by location or theme (such as Off the Beaten Path, Unique Places to Stay, Rainforest Adventures, or Photogenic Spots). When a traveller clicks on a photo they can see the photographer's information and links to relevant business or destination websites to book or find out more, as well as Destination BC's travel planning website and blog, depending on the image.
Discover and explore more of British Columbia using BCExplorer.com. To see how the BC Explorer can inspire new adventures, check out this video: http://ExploreBC.co/explorervid
Quotes:
Marsha Walden, President and CEO, Destination BC -
"Those of us who are lucky enough to call British Columbia home know there is simply no shortage of content to share with potential visitors -- our vast and abundant wilderness, spectacular cities on the edge of nature, and welcoming communities, to name a few. By featuring this stunning content through the BC Explorer, we are able to take Instagram images to a new level and give visitors from around the world the ability to actually book these inspirational places and activities."
Shirley Bond, Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Minister Responsible for Labour -
"For many of us, a beautiful photo is an inspiration to travel to a particular place or to take part in an activity. Photos of our amazing province are shared around the world and are a big reason why visitors choose BC as a travel destination. The BC Explorer is an innovative way to tap into the pictures that people are sharing online and to provide them with immediate details of what they're seeing, encouraging them to take the next step and to #exploreBC. I am thrilled that this new tool is being officially launched and look forward to seeing the photos!"
Quick Facts:
- Destination BC has 257,000 Instagram followers at @HelloBC.
- As of August 3, the #exploreBC hashtag has been used over 1.6 million times on Instagram.
- Since January 1, 2016, 87,000 unique individuals have used #exploreBC a total of 714,000 times. This usage signifies a potential reach of 118 million, with 1.5 billion potential impressions world-wide, just on Instagram alone.
- Instagram has 500 million users globally - 300 million of them use the app every single day. More than 80 percent of Instagram users live outside the United States.
Links:
BC Explorer Images: https://www.dropbox.com/home/News%20Release%20Images/BC%20Explorer
BC Explorer Video: http://ExploreBC.co/explorervid
About Destination BC:
Destination BC 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 BC's programs and services, please visit: www.DestinationBC.ca
Contact Information:
Media Contacts:
Destination BC Media Relations
604-660-0424