Attracting the U.K. Visitor with Personality Favourite Ray Mears
Toronto, Ontario, 2014-12-19 — /Travel PR News/ — Ontario is a popular destination for the outdoor adventurer and the Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership Corporation (OTMPC) welcomes the opportunity to share Ontario’s dynamic tourism offerings with visitors from the United Kingdom.
The OTMPC has launched its U.K. Outdoor Adventure marketing campaign by engaging the media power of Ray Mears, as the official spokesperson. Renowned bushcraft expert and widely popular British TV personality, Ray celebrates a significant audience. Along with serving as Ontario Adventure spokesperson, Ray Mears will also be sharing Ontario experiences at the Keswick Mountain Festival in the U.K. in May 2015 and will be hosting an Ontario Outdoor Adventure contest.
The campaign is a comprehensive multi-channel promotion over the next six months reaching over six million consumers. The campaign will extend across six websites with Ontario content and numerous newsletters that connect to over 2.6 million outdoor adventure email subscribers. Ontario will also be highlighted through editorials in four adventure publications with Active Traveller, Adventure Travel, The Great Outdoors and Geographical reaching a collective readership of 212,000 combined and an online readership of 70,000 subscribers per month. OTMPC also has partnered with Cotswold Outdoors, the largest outdoor retail chain with over 73 stores across the U.K. Through in-store promotions, access to 78,000 social media followers and a database of 450,000 consumers, Ontario’s outdoors will be prominently featured as a must-visit destination. Additional partnerships include Garmin U.K. (GPS product), with 86,000 social media followers and a database of 35,000 consumers. The campaign focusses on providing consumers with a range of outdoor adventure ideas found on the website www.ontariotravel.net/ukadventure.
The epic contest prize is a highlight of the campaign, hosted by Ray Mears, and a special travel team, including legendary Canadian paddler Becky Mason and Wabakimi Wilderness Outfitters, leading an eight day fully-outfitted adventure into Wabakimi Provincial Park. The winners will experience wilderness bushcraft from the foremost authority, traveling by land, air, rail and paddle into the heart of the one of the world’s largest unspoiled ecosystems, the Canadian Boreal Forest in Northern Ontario. Two lucky North American winners will join the two contest winners from the U.K. The contest runs from Dec 15, 2014 until May 31, 2015 with the winners experiencing the adventure Aug 6 to 13, 2015.
QUOTES
“Canadian canoe journeys are always special; they have a unique ability to purge the spirit of the unwanted static that accumulates in our technological lives. I am not sure why, whether it is the simplicity of life as a canoeist, or the pristine quietude of the wilderness; perhaps it is the honest labour of muscles propelling you through the lakes and waterways. Whatever it is, the effect is to cleanse and rejuvenate the soul.”
– Ray Mears, Ontario Adventure spokesperson and British TV Personality
“The Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership Corporation recognizes the importance of the United Kingdom market to Ontario’s tourism industry. We are pleased to work with partners both here in Ontario and in the U.K. to share Ontario’s outdoor adventure experiences with potential visitors. We are delighted to welcome Ray Mears as a recognized outdoor adventurer and to reach out with him to his many fans.”
– Ronald Holgerson, President and CEO, Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership Corporation
QUICK FACTS
In 2012, Ontario welcomed 314,000 visitors from the United Kingdom, Ontario’s largest source of visitors from overseas.
U.K. visitors contributed $423 million in spending to the tourism economy in 2012 and the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport’s travel forecast indicates that visitor expenditures from the U.K. will
grow by 56% to $660 million from 2012 to 2017.
Tourism is an important economic driver. 2012 figures indicate that tourism supported over 347,000 jobs and generated $28 billion for Ontario’s economy.
Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership Corporation is an agency of the Government of Ontario with a vision to position Ontario as a preferred global destination.
LEARN MORE
Learn more about the U.K. Ontario Outdoor Adventure Campaign.
Watch Ray Mears explore the Wabakimi Provincial Park.
Ontario Outdoor Adventure Contest Details.
Learn more about OTMPC, its programs and partnership opportunities.
-30-
CONTACT
Lydia McCourt
Corporate Communications Manager, OTMPC
416-314-6590
lydia.mccourt@ontario.ca
10 Dundas Street East, Suite 900
Toronto, Ontario M7A 2A1