It’s not just the destination that captures the hearts of West Coast tourists, it’s the scenic journey that leads them here.
Innovative collaboration has created a unique and fun new way of road-tripping to, and around, the West Coast.
The Pacific Rim National Park has partnered with Tourism Tofino, Tourism Ucluelet and the Alberni Valley Tourism Association to launch a promotional road trip contest that encourages visitors to snap photos of 24 iconic landmarks on, and along the way to, the West Coast.
These landmarks include Cathedral Grove, Wally Creek, the Wild Pacific Trail, Incinerator Rock and the Weeping Cedar Woman with a pool of prizes available to participants.
Parks Canada spokesperson Laura Judson told the Westerly News the Park was thrilled to participate in the unique initiative.
“Parks Canada has been working with Tourism Tofino and Tourism Ucluelet and other organizations to promote the West Coast as a regional destination since 2014 with the Real West Coast Campaign,” she said.
“The Road Trip campaign builds on this successful collaboration by creating a road trip game that helps visitors discover some of the most amazing sites along Canada’s Surf Highway—Highway 4—and share photos of those places on social media.”
She added the West Coast’s tourism economy is connected as many visitors choose to explore the entire peninsula.
“By working together, we can showcase the best each area has to offer and make it easy for visitors to plan a trip with memorable experiences every step of the way,” she said. ”Developing new and innovative programs like the Real West Coast Road Trip allows more Canadians, including youth and newcomers, to experience the outdoors and learn about our environment and history.”
Five of the contest’s landmarks sit within the Pacific Rim National Park and Judson is excited to see visitors lured towards breathtakingly educational sites.
“Parks Canada is the country’s largest tourism provider and we are committed to providing visitors with exceptional and meaningful experiences at our places,” she said.
“For this road trip, Pacific Rim National Park Reserves brings those awe-inspiring moments of extreme natural beauty and rich cultural heritage. When visitors check out the road trip stops in the park reserve, they could find themselves standing at the foot of a Nuu-Chah-Nulth totem pole or watching waves crash onto Long Beach.”
More information about the contest can be found at www.therealwestcoast.ca.
