Experience hiking in Alberta, Canada using @instahikes on Instagram
Calgary, Alberta (PRWEB) March 19, 2015
Pushing the boundaries of social media marketing in tourism, Travel Alberta launches Instahikes – an Instagram account that acts like a website and provides immersive, first person experiences of popular hiking trails in the Canadian Rocky Mountains.
Instahikes will initially feature five hiking trails, allowing users to choose their favourite and digitally hike the trail from the first step to the summit. Featured hikes include:
Johnston Canyon Ice Walk, Banff National Park @johnstoncanyon_instahike
Larch Meadows, Banff National Park @larchmeadows_instahike
Cavell Meadows, Jasper National Park @cavellmeadows_instahike
Sulphur Skyline, Jasper National Park @sulphurskyline_instahike
Maligne Canyon, Jasper National Park @malignecanyon_instahike
“Hiking is one of the most popular activities in Alberta and travellers regularly ask us via social media for recommendations,” said Royce Chwin, CEO of Travel Alberta. “With Instahikes, we can now simply share the Instagram handle, and the traveller can scroll through the hike to get an immediate feel for the adventure they’re about to embark on.”
Each hike is a first person photo journey captured by two local Alberta Instagrammers Callum Snape (@CalSnape) and Taylor Burk (@TaylorMichaelBurk). More Instahikes are planned and the content will be added to Travel Alberta’s websites and social channels.
Travel Alberta’s Instahikes account makes use of Instagram’s tagging features and structure in an unconventional way to simulate a website. Tap on a hike and users are directed to a dedicated Instagram account devoted to a specific hiking trail.
Best experienced in Instagram's list view, each hike begins with a map of the trail showing the hike’s distance, duration and difficulty. As users scroll through the series of photos, they can follow the trail, reading captions of the experience from trailhead to summit. Images found on Instahikes are intended to assist, inspire and inform travellers, while demonstrating the accessible beauty of Alberta.
Chris Gokiert, president of Critical Mass, Travel Alberta’s digital agency partner, said the social media initiative is intended to “provide a utility content experience in an entertaining, brand relevant and socially connected way.”
Travel Alberta has made Instagram a key component of the destination’s global social media strategy. To date, the Canadian province has amassed a social audience of over 500,000 across core social platforms.
For more, view the video: How to @Instahikes on Instagram.
About Alberta Canada
Located in the heart of western Canada, bordered by the Rocky Mountains to the west and prairies to the east, the province of Alberta is a holiday destination known for surprising even the most experienced travelers. The picturesque mountain towns of Banff, Lake Louise, Jasper, Canmore and Waterton are revered by hikers and nature lovers for their awe-inspiring terrain, jaw-dropping vistas and abundant Canadian wildlife. From exploring Calgary and Edmonton, lively cities brimming with music, culture and nightlife, to discovering dinosaur fossils in the mysterious Canadian Badlands, visiting Alberta promises an experience like no other. http://www.travelalberta.com @travelalberta #ExploreAlberta