The Olympic Winter Games provided the world with a tantalizing glimpse of Vancouver, but tourism officials say it will take work to keep the love affair going now that the honeymoon is over.
Walt Judas, vice president of visitor services and communication for Tourism Vancouver, told CTV News that the world's attention could quickly shift away from Vancouver.
"We all know the industry is volatile and things can change in a heartbeat. The World Cup is in South Africa this year, so attention will be diverted away from Vancouver," he said.
B.C.'s "You Gotta Be Here" advertising campaign, complete with homegrown talent like Michael J. Fox and Steve Nash, helped boost the city's profile, but Tourism Vancouver says the city and province need to continue with active marketing while the buzz of the Games is still fresh.
The 2000 Summer Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, were a hit, but the country didn't invest enough time or money to sustain that interest once the Games were over, according to Tourism Vancouver. They want to show potential tourists the city's party vibe wasn't just a one-off.
"Vancouver has an active concert scene and an active sports scene. There's the Celebration of Light that attracts people from all over the world. We need to invest in arts and culture as well as sports tourism. There's a new market for that," Judas said.
Tourism experts have predicted visits to increase by four per cent because of the Games, but some are expecting boosts in other areas, too.
Premier Gordon Campbell has predicted that 2010 and 2011 will be banner years for conventions in B.C. "We know from the hits -- we are getting even more interest in coming, sometimes from people right next door who say, ‘Hey, I never knew that,'" he said.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Leah Hendry
