Time Travel BC
NEW HERITAGE TOURISM WEBSITE LAUNCHED :
It is now easier than ever to take a trip through time to British Columbia’s past with the help of a new website launched by the Heritage Tourism Alliance of BC. The site www.timetravelbc.com puts the province’s heritage experiences at traveler’s fingertips, so they can plan activities and itineraries with ease.
“Heritage tourism is an important component of cultural tourism, one of the fastest growing sectors in the industry today,” says Tiffany Gyles, heritage tourism liaison with the Heritage Tourism Alliance. “This website puts information on heritage experiences all in one place in an easy-to-use format. This allows visitors to BC to include heritage sites in their plans – even their accommodation and dining.”
The Time Travel BC web site, launched on October 16 at the BC Museum Association’s annual conference in Osoyoos, allows visitors to search for heritage experiences by region or by travel categories such as heritage-themed accommodation or shopping. Heritage sites range from well-established destinations like Barkerville to a century-old hotel or pub.
“In BC, our heritage is valued as a major contributor to our distinctive identity, character and sense of place to our communities, residents and visitors,” says Jim Harding, executive director of the BCMA, a member of the Heritage Tourism Alliance. “The purpose of the Alliance and this website is to raise awareness of the breadth and depth of BC’s heritage experiences across the province and ensure visitors include heritage as an essential part of their visit.”
The Heritage Tourism Alliance of BC is made up of partners from Tourism BC, the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts, Heritage BC, BC Museums Association, Parks Canada, BC Heritage Properties, the Business Improvement Areas of BC, and a variety of independent heritage operators. While visiting heritage sites is not a new phenomenon to travelers to BC, the Alliance is working to ensure heritage is an essential part of the BC experience and easy to seek out for those who like a bit of the past in their present day travel.
The World Tourism Organization has reported that travellers are looking for a complete, participatory authentic, experience which also provides them with opportunities for new knowledge. And statistics are favourable for BC’s target audiences. For instance, 17 per cent or 34.5 million American adults are heritage tourism enthusiasts, and of these 63 per cent sought out heritage experiences as part of their last visit to Canada. Canadians are also keen on heritage, with 11 per cent identifying themselves as heritage tourism devotees; more than 55 per cent of them made a heritage experience part of their last trip in Canada.
