Destination BC Launches Overseas Consumer Marketing Campaign in the UK and Germany

On September 8, Destination BC’s marketing efforts went international, with the launch of its first overseas consumer direct marketing campaign since the pandemic began.

After well over a year of COVID restrictions, it’s anticipated that there is pent-up travel demand from consumers in the UK and Germany, who are likely craving vast open spaces and raw wilderness – found in abundance in British Columbia.

To tap into this demand, Destination BC will invite travelers in these markets to Call the Wild – to take a moment and connect with British Columbia’s great wilderness, even before they travel. Leveraging an exclusive media partnership with National Geographic Traveller (UK and DE), the campaign is designed to emotionally connect with potential travelers, to encourage them to keep BC top of mind as a destination of choice, and to inspire them to plan their trip to BC for spring 2022.

Launched September 8 in the UK followed by the launch in Germany slated for later this month, the campaign is scheduled to run for nearly a month and a half in each market.Throughout the campaign period, potential travelers will be led to a BC content hub on the National Geographic Traveller website which features articles about different transformative nature experiences in British Columbia. Readers will be encouraged to go to HelloBC.com to Call the Wild, where they can immediately engage in a one-hour ocean, mountains, or rainforest experience, or schedule time in their calendar for a later date. The three BC experiences were designed to immerse potential travellers in BC’s nature and experience its transformative power.

The footage was captured using innovative technology to create a truly immersive experience. BC’s greatest landscapes were visually captured by setting up iPhones and cameras in key locations across the province, with their soundscapes brought to life using a binaural audio system that uses dual microphones arranged to imitate human ears.

While this is the first consumer marketing campaign since the pandemic began, Destination BC has continued to maintain its presence in the international markets by working with overseas teams through virtual trade shows, media events, travel media and more to keep BC top of mind as a destination of choice once international travel resumed.

Links and resources:

• Call the Wild – HelloBC UK & Germany landing pages
• Call the Wild – National Geographic UK landing page
• Destination BC’s market profiles for the UK and Germany
• Know Before You Go travel information
• How to Travel Safely and Responsibly in BC
• Downloadable Responsible Travel graphics
• Destination BC’s BC Content Hub for images, videos, b-roll, travel stories, maps and more
• Destination BC’s COVID-19 tourism industry resources