Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Conde Nast Traveler's 2008 Readers' Choice Awards



Victoria has once again been rated among the best cities in the Americas by readers of Conde Nast Traveler magazine. Victoria ranked as the third best city in the Americas in Conde Nast Traveler's 2008 Readers' Choice Awards, tied with Quebec City.

Cities are rated on criteria such as ambience, friendliness, culture, sites, restaurants, lodging and shopping. Victoria has consistently been named among the top ten cities in the Americas in Conde Nast's annual Readers' Choice Awards, taking top honours as the number one best city in the Americas in 2003.

"It is an honour for Victoria to be recognized as one of the best cities in the world in such a consistent fashion and in a prominent publication like Conde Nast Traveler," says Rob Gialloreto, Tourism Victoria's President & CEO. "With a per issue readership of over three million, Conde Nast is considered a premier travel magazine and accolades such as this raise awareness of Victoria as one of the world's finest destinations."

Victoria's accolades coincide with Vancouver Island being awarded the Readers' Choice award for Top North American Island for the seventh year in a row. Vancouver Island ranked first ahead of Kiawah and Nantucket in the North American Island category.

"With the natural beauty of Victoria and Vancouver Island, and the first-class tourism products we offer visitors, it is no surprise that we are recognized by travellers as a world-class destination," said Bill Bennett, Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts. "This kind of recognition will only increase as the world watches British Columbia prepare for and host the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games."

"With Vancouver Island taking top spot for North American Islands for a record seventh year, and Victoria tying for third place as top American city, the readers of Conde Nast Traveller are telling us something that we are fortunate to know already - the wide variety of unique travel experiences found on Vancouver Island and in Victoria are unparalleled in the world," said Rod Harris, President & CEO of Tourism British Columbia.

Congratulations to Tourism Victoria Members who were also recognized:

Best of the Best 2008
47th - Wickaninnish Inn, Tofino
67th - Long Beach Lodge Resort, Tofino
Top 30 Canada Hotels
1st - Hotel Grand Pacific, Victoria
3rd - Sooke Harbour House, Sooke
7th - Magnolia Hotel & Spa, Victoria
14th - Fairmont Empress, Victoria
17th - Victoria Regent Hotel, Victoria
23rd - Aerie Resort & Spa, Vancouver Island
24th - Brentwood Bay Lodge & Spa, Vancouver Island

Top 20 Canada Resorts
2nd - Wickaninnish Inn, Tofino
3rd - Long Beach Lodge Resort, Tofino
16th - Poets Cove Resort & Spa, Pender Island

Established in 1987, Conde Nast Traveler is designed for the experienced, discerning, frequent traveller and reports on an array of diverse travel experiences. The magazine presents information encompassing art, fashion, architecture, culture, cuisine and shopping at a variety of destinations throughout the world.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Tourism Victoria Achieves Destination Marketing Accreditation

Tourism Victoria announced today that it has been awarded accreditation from the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program (DMAP). DMAP is an international accreditation program developed by the Washington, D.C. based Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI). In earning the DMAP accreditation, destination marketing organizations (DMOs) communicate to their community, buyers and potential visitors that their DMO has attained a significant measure of excellence. Tourism Victoria is the second British Columbia organization to receive accreditation, and among a select Canadian group who have qualified.

DMAP accreditation standards cover a wide variety of topics including governance, finance, management, human resources, technology, visitor services, group services, sales, communications, membership, brand management, destination development, research/market intelligence, innovation and stakeholder relationships.

DMAP is an independent international accreditation body and a leader in defining quality and performance issues in destination marketing. For additional information on DMAP visit http://www.destinationmarketing.org/


Monday, September 8, 2008

Victoria Arts, Heritage And Culture Guide September - December 2008



Find out about the latest arts, heritage and cultural events happening in Victoria - Download the PDF guide.

Self Guided Heritage Walks Of Victoria

Take a walk and discover the wonderful and mysterious secrets that are part of Victoria's hidden history with this series of four self-guided walks.

The Gratitude Dance

Check out this fun and uplifting video filmed in and around Victoria. Look for some of your favorite Victoria locations and see if you recognize any of the friendly Victoria locals.

Victoria named #2 Destination Canada and #16 Destination World in TripAdvisor's 2008 Travelers’ Choice Destination Awards



The TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Destinations Awards honor the world’s top destinations, earning their distinction from those who know them best – real travelers. Only TripAdvisor’s Destinations Awards represent the opinions of millions of travelers. The winners were determined by a combination of TripAdvisor’s travelers’ favorite places and overall popularity on TripAdvisor. “Whether it’s for their unique beauty, or abundance of attractions, the 2008 Travelers’ Choice Destinations Awards honor the most beloved destinations from around the world,” said Michele Perry, vice president of global communications for TripAdvisor. “Determined by millions of travelers, the Travelers’ Choice Destinations Awards are unique because they single out not just popular places but truly exceptional places that enthrall travelers and keep them coming back.”

Check out TripAdvisor reviews on Victoria

View the complete 2008 Travelers’ Choice Destination list.

For the complete 2008 Travelers’ Choice list, go to www.tripadvisor.com/TCDestinations.