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The push is on for Tourism Pemberton to develop the methods to spread the word about the Spud Valley amid the Olympic hoopla, bolstered by growing interest among local tourism partners.
Tourism Pemberton, a committee under the wing of the Pemberton and District Chamber of Commerce, has seen a recent revitalization, with growth in the efforts by locals to build on the work already completed and keep things moving forward.
Chief among the current projects are the development of a new Tourism Pemberton website and the creation of a media package about Pemberton, which will be vital for the efforts to promote Pemberton during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.
“There’s definitely a great need for all the tourism partners to get together” to market the town, Tracey Rozsypalek, the new Tourism Pemberton chairperson, said in a recent interview.
With two meetings over the summer having attracted 12 to 14 participants despite the busy period, and monthly meetings expected to begin this month, she feels momentum and interest in the group starting to grow again.
The new projects are being supported by approximately $30,000 of funding from the Union of B.C. Municipalities, secured by David MacKenzie, Tourism Pemberton’s past chairperson, and Chamber of Commerce Secretary-Treasurer Shirley Henry.
Rozsypalek said the website, which is being developed by Roy McClean of Custom Fit Communications Group and should be up by the beginning of September, is expected to include elements such as lists of latest news and upcoming events, individual pages with information about all the local tourism partners, blog posts and some media information.
The media packages, which will be distributed in advance of the Olympics, will put background information about Pemberton, story ideas and footage right into the hands of the media members from all over the world, Rozsypalek said. She said much of the footage could come from the Pemberton Museum, which has a great deal of possible content.
A working group aims to craft unique Pemberton story ideas and put together the imagery, Rozsypalek said, but they haven’t yet decided the precise messages or angles that will be suggested to the Olympic media.
“Our main objective is to have this opportunity to promote and market Pemberton as a destination… and we want to help make (the Olympics) a great event,” Rozsypalek said.
She said she hasn’t heard local tourism providers expressing fears about missing the boat on the Olympic and Paralympic business, but they want to be ready to take advantage of all opportunities to be involved and make the Games a good experience for local residents.
Rozsypalek said she thinks some of the recent growth in activity for Tourism Pemberton is a result of the money allocated to the projects. She said the committee plans to pursue avenues for further funding with a goal of becoming self-funded further down the line.
Donna Hasan, owner of the Log House Inn, has been involved with Tourism Pemberton since its beginning in 2005, believing that the organization benefits everyone in the area. She said she’s a “strong believer” in the importance of the website, with 90 per cent of her business driven by Internet traffic, and she hopes the message about Pemberton will include mention of the diversity and historical background of the area.
Hasan said her inn is already fully booked for the Olympic period, as are the nine members in the Pemberton Bed and Breakfast Association to which her business belongs, so business will be strong.
“To be booked this far out, that’s great,” Hasan said.
She suggested that Tourism Pemberton’s focus for 2010 should be “just making sure we can capitalize on every marketing initiative (possible),” putting Pemberton on the map with the diverse range of activities that the valley has to offer. She thinks it shouldn’t be difficult to get Pemberton into the Olympic media spotlight, judging from the many local area features she has seen in past Olympic broadcasts.
Hasan said some of her guests stay with her initially because they couldn’t get Whistler accommodations, but almost everyone returns to Pemberton once they’ve discovered it.
“They just love what the valley offers… Every amenity is here,” she said.
Hasan, like Niki Madigan, sees the value in marketing Pemberton as a destination distinct from Whistler. Madigan, the curator of the Pemberton Museum, sees two tourism markets: one group of visitors to Whistler who pop up to Pemberton for a taste of something different, and another group of destination visitors who are interested directly in Pemberton and its merits.
Among the tourists Madigan meets, she said, “They’ve come to Pemberton to see something different from Whistler… That’s what they always say. So that tells me (anecdotally)… that’s our competitive edge: We have to offer something different from Whistler.”
Madigan is a believer in the growth possible for Pemberton in the area of cultural tourism, particularly now with a large generation coming into a phase where they won’t want to go on multi-hour backcountry hikes. She said the area’s cultural footprint is interesting, including elements such as special natural landmarks, locals’ favourite places and events and gems hidden off the beaten path, and Tourism Pemberton can be a forum for a variety of people to talk about these ideas and develop a brand.
Madigan said the Games will give Pemberton long-term exposure, and act as a catalyst to get tools such as the Tourism Pemberton website put in place for future success in “promoting ourselves in one voice.”
Rozsypalek said the intention is to keep the flow of growth and interest in Tourism Pemberton continuing with monthly meetings and goal-setting, and it’s important to the group to have representatives from a wide variety of sectors.
“With the work that we’re doing, we’ll get a lot more interest in our committee,” Rozsypalek said, adding on Aug. 6 to her previous comments after a strong focus group meeting between 14 locals and representatives from the Hello B.C. website. Pemberton’s presence on that site will soon be significantly expanded, she said.
