Edmonton Tourism Launches Summer Attraction Campaign

Short-haul marketing will expand nationally and into the U.S.

Edmonton, Alberta (PRWEB) May 31, 2007 -- Edmonton Tourism (http://www.edmonton.com/tourism/portal.asp?page=4&WT.mc_id=ICHS071) launched its 2007 summer campaign this week, with phase-one aimed at increasing Greater Edmonton's share of leisure visitors from Alberta, Saskatchewan, Northern B.C., Yukon and the Northwest Territories.

"Summer in Edmonton provides the opportunity to increase tourism numbers from all market sectors," says Ken Fiske, Edmonton Economic Development Corp. vice-president of Tourism, Events and Motion Pictures. "We will focus our immediate efforts on the important short-haul markets, and then roll-out enticing promotional messages about Edmonton to North American key tourism markets."

The Edmonton Tourism campaign's are timed to profile the region's tremendous variety of summertime festivals (http://www.edmonton.com/tourism/portal.asp?page=4&highlightid=1024&WT.mc_id=ICHS072), attractions and sports events - and will feature this year's major events like the FIFA U-20 World Cup soccer, Grand Prix of Edmonton and CN Canadian Women's Open golf.

The lucrative "rubber tire market" will be targeted first, using a multi-media campaign that includes direct mail, web communications and print advertising, including a double-page spread in Westworld magazine reaching over one million readers.

The campaigns website is a comprehensive guide on what to see and do in Greater Edmonton, and features coupons, hotel packages, events, direct links to tourism partners plus the chance to win Edmonton getaway experiences throughout the summer.

The website also encourages Edmontonians to become tourism ambassadors for the region. Local residents can invite friends and family living outside the region to visit Edmonton through the Visiting Friends & Relatives (http://www.edmonton.com/tourism/portal.asp?page=4&highlightid=1030&WT.mc_id=ICHS073) program. By sending one of the website's unique e-postcards to friends or family out-of-market, website visitors become eligible to win a $500 West Edmonton Mall shopping spree for themselves and an Edmonton vacation package for their friend or family member.

Edmontonians hosting out-of-town visitors this summer can also visit the website to enter-to-win monthly reward prizes through the Thank You Edmonton program.

A new, in-flight advertising campaign will expand the campaign's reach into national and U.S. travel markets throughout the summer. Print ads in Air Canada's in-flight magazine En Route and on-board video promotional messages will entice visitors to choose Greater Edmonton as their travel destination.

The 2007 summer tourism attraction campaign is a partnership between Edmonton Tourism, the Destination Marketing Hotels of Edmonton, the Edmonton and Area Tourism Destination Region, and over fifteen industry partners.

Edmonton Tourism, a division of Edmonton Economic Development Corp., is responsible for marketing Greater Edmonton as a preferred destination for leisure travel, business travel and film production. Edmonton - named Canada's Cultural Capital for 2007 - is Alberta's No. 1 tourism destination for in-province and other-province visitors, and Alberta's No. 1 metropolitan destination for U.S. visitors.

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