When you've got the kind of roads Prince George has, connecting the quadrants of the province and the routes to the regions beyond, all through one city in the centre, you're going to have a fair share of motorcycles travelling through.
It's a connection that Tourism Prince George wants to rev up. The local agency got some extra fuel in that tank, this week, when Destination BC announced $40,000 in extra funding to market this region specifically for motorcycle touring.
It is a partnership that links northern B.C. communities all along Highway 16.
"The importance of promoting touring routes is essential to capturing our target market tourism traffic through Prince George and northern B.C.," said Erica Hummel, CEO of Tourism Prince George.
"Motorcycle tourists are affluent, spend time in destination, and are interested in other tourism offerings such as cultural attractions, culinary, and outdoor adventures like camping and fishing, so they are a captive audience."
Since its inception in 2017, Tourism Prince George has been leading the Route 16 marketing project.
A website, Facebook page, Instagram account, brochures, and stickers have been developed and promoted at consumer shows and through aggressive digital marketing campaigns to targeted motorcycle markets in B.C., Alberta, and Washington.
To date, the marketing efforts have achieved over 21,000 website page views, reaching 95,000 on social media platforms and over 507,000 video impressions.
Videos, photographs, and blog content can be viewed on www.route16.ca.
"Tourism destinations are in an increasingly ferocious global competition for travellers," said Marsha Walden, CEO of Destination BC.
"B.C. is elevating its marketing impact through collaboration. This funding harnesses the collective power of tourism champions in towns, cities, and regions, connecting local networks and sectors with a common purpose. Together, we are positioning British Columbia as a must-see destination, and our industry is a leading source of growth in BC's economy."
Lisa Beare, Minister for Tourism, Arts & Culture, said this was exactly the kind of marketing campaign that capitalizes on what B.C. has to offer.
"We want to make sure visitors know all that they can see and do in our province, along with supporting tourism businesses who showcase all that British Columbia hold," said the minister.
"With the Co-operative Marketing Partnerships Program we are investing in tourism's continued growth to make sure tourism operators and businesses throughout the province will benefit from tourism in all seasons."
