The catchphrase “B.C.’s best-kept secret” might no longer apply to the Nakusp Hot Springs.
The business, owned and operated by the Village of Nakusp, was recently named one of the top 10 tourism businesses in western Canada by CanadaTravel.com.
“I think it’s a credit to the hot springs and what it offers,” said Terry Welsh, manager of recreations and parks for the village. “We pride ourselves on the fact that we have as close as we can to a natural setting.”
Winners are chosen by travellers who visit CanadaTravel.com along with social travel communities, blogs, and social media channels. Results come from a combination of an accumulation of analytics and statistics from the website along with blog and social media interaction from over the last year.
Being in the top 10 for the organization actually ties in well with some of the works the hot springs is doing. Staff have upgraded the hot springs’ website, and have noticed an increase in visitors since then.
Welsh points out that what’s good for the hot springs is good for the village.
“When people are visiting, they’re not just visiting the hot springs, they’re visiting Nakusp and the region,” he said. “I think that’s a real plus for us moving forward.”
Having this increase in recognition, especially on social media, has shown what can happen in terms of marketing.
“When we look at marketing with respect to the hot springs, we don’t just market the hot springs themselves, we market everything that happens in Nakusp,” said Welsh. “We have so much natural beauty around the area and all the activities that go on, we want to really focus that the hot springs are kind of the cherry on top of the ice cream.”
