As someone who has covered Canadian tourism full time for a dozen years now, this is great news.
Northwest Territories, which hasn’t been terribly active in seeking visitors over the years, has launched a new campaign based on the theme “NWT Will Change You.” And they’ve hired Punch Canada, a major public relations/marketing firm, to help out.
I think it’s terrific, as this an area of Canada just waiting to be explored. I must confess I haven’t been. I’ve talked with their tourism reps before but it never quite seemed to happen. But I’ve always thought it would be a great, untapped frontier to explore, so I’m quite pleased to see this.
Tourism is a huge part of the Canadian economy, and not everyone understands that. Travellers are increasingly looking for adventure and something new and authentic, so the timing for the NWT campaign is ideal.
Here’s the release that went out Thursday:
Imagine riding with reindeer in downtown Toronto. Or guiding a dog team through the streets of Vancouver. Or even casting a line on the way to the office in Calgary.
Soon, NWT Tourism will be changing the way some Canadians get around the city. Throughout the months of February and March, a car equipped with 360° VR headsets will hit the streets of Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary. Passengers will get the chance to ride along with a migrating reindeer herd, marvel at the dance of the Northern Lights and feel what it’s like to paddle a glassy alpine lake under a midnight sun. These lucky riders will also get the chance to be entered into a contest to win a trip for two to the Northwest Territories.
The driver of the entirely wrapped car, decked out in NWT branding, will be able to take passengers anywhere they would like in the city within a 10km radius. The car will be available for pick ups at participating Hilton hotels from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and will be operating in the following cities on these dates:
Toronto – February 3 to February 9, parked in front of Hilton Toronto, 145 Richmond St W, Toronto, ON
Vancouver – February 16 to February 23, parked at the Hampton Inn & Suites, 111 Robson St. Vancouver, BC
Calgary – March 23 to March 31, parked at the Hilton Garden Inn, 711 4 St. SE suite A, Calgary, AB
This is all part of NWT Tourism’s new integrated marketing campaign, designed to provide Canadians with a tantalizing look at transformative travel experiences and adventures awaiting them in all five regions of the territory. NWT Tourism will showcase immersive VR experiences at three travel tradeshows in Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary as well, to bring consumers as close to the signature attractions of the destination as you can get without physically being there.
“NWT Tourism, along with our partners at the Government of the Northwest Territories, are so excited to show Canadians the world-class attractions this destination has to offer,” said Cathie Bolstad, CEO of Northwest Territories Tourism.
Consumers can find out more about the campaign by going to www.nwtwillchangeyou.com, where they will find two 360° VR Videos that people can watch and share online using the hashtag #NWTWillChangeYou. More details about this activation can also be found on the site.
It may be the ancient rhythm from a Dene Drum, or the sound of thundering herds across the tundra or the still silence of a crisp fall night as you watch the greatest natural light show overhead – whatever it is – something in the Northwest Territories will change you.
