WINTER SHUTTLE SERVICE STARTS TODAY! | |
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The Winter Shuttle buses are rolling for the season, with daily daytime service starting this morning for opening day at Fernie Alpine Resort and running through to closing day. Evening service will begin December 13th and run to the end of March.
To celebrate opening weekend the shuttle will be FREE to ride Nov 29th till December 3rd!
WATCH for NEW APP LAUNCHING NEXT WEEK!!
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Lodging Stats in Fernie
Accommodation occupancy year-to-date up to September 30th (traditional accommodations) has seen continued growth in numbers thanks to both corporate and leisure travellers. Additional stats from KeyData on AirBnB / STR rentals around Fernie show a slight decline to 2023 year-to-date numbers.
Lodging revenues overall, calculated from the 3% MRDT hotel tax collected from visitors staying at both traditional and STR accommodations, covering January - September 2024 are $34,201,377, up 16% over the same period last year.
The bar chart above shows Fernie's lodging occupancy percentage (Source: CoStar) against other key destinations and the change over the previous year. Fernie's occupancy % (how full the hotel is compared to its total units available) is higher than the previous year.
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DESTINATION MANAGEMENT UPDATES | |
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Morrissey Boat Launch Completed!
The Morrissey boat launch along the Elk River reopened in mid September after construction of an official boat launch ramp, some access and parking improvements and signage installation. Signage content will be worked on over winter for placement in spring. This multi-year project is part of the Elk River Access Improvements Initiatives with multiple partners and funders.
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Additional Parking, Signage and 2nd New Toilet for Silver Springs
In partnership with adjacent landowner and RDEK, Tourism Fernie helped to install additional amenities next to the parking area for Silver Springs. Private landowner Randy Keys (far right) was keen to support the needs of this important community asset and provided funding and much of his time to prepare his adjacent land. Jamie Davis from RDEK (centre), along with Dan Savage (left) a member of the RDEK Area A APC and a key partner with Tourism Fernie's Sustainable Tourism Projects in the valley, is working with Tourism Fernie to share the work, resources and responsibility of the new amenities.
Tourism Fernie's AmbassadorWILD Program will help to monitor and maintain the site between May - Sept each year thanks to support funding from the landowner's charity foundation.
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Winter Destination Campaign Fully Underway
As winter approaches, our team has been hard at work rolling out targeted campaigns to capture the attention of long-haul travelers and inspire them to experience ski season in Fernie. The tactics consist of traditional print advertising, out of home digital screens and mega boards in Toronto, digital campaign across different target markets on Meta and Google, traditional TV and OTT streaming ads. A separate campaign speaking to snowmobiling enthusiasts has been launched on Meta as well.
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North West Travel & Words Media Conference
This annual conference build productive connections between travel journalists and destinations. Tourism Fernie conducted 26 scheduled one-on-one meetings, attended presentations and already have resulting visits for 2025 in the works! Contact christine@tourismfernie.com for details.
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Toronto Ski + Snowboard Show & DBC Media Event
Tourism Fernie & Fernie Alpine Resort recently connected with ski & snowboard enthusiasts from Ontario (approx. 30,000 attendees) at the annual Toronto Ski + Snowboard Show. Destination BC also hosted a Media event attended by 30+ invited editors, writers and influencers which Tourism Fernie presented at.
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Calgary Bridal Expo '24 & Wedding Fair '25
Tourism Fernie attended the Calgary Bridal Expo last month, joined by local partners: Fernie Alpine Resort and Fernie Distillers with Fernie Catering Co. Over 3,300 guests attended, including approx. 1,100 brides and grooms. Tourism Fernie will also have a booth at the Calgary Wedding Fair on February 2nd, 2025. Contact brona@tourismfernie.com for details.
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Fernie Fills My Cup - Fall Promotion
We ran an annual digital campaign to drive overnight visitation to Fernie in the quieter time of year (end of October & November). Direct leisure bookings of 2 or more nights were eligible for up to $150 in local gift cards of the visitor's choosing. The campaign has generated 898,000 impressions, 1,600+ clicks to the website,and $2,300 went back to local dining & retail businesses from purchased gift cards.
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On November 16th in Montreal, Fernie’s own Mike Delich was honored with induction into the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame, celebrating his decades-long dedication to the sport of skiing. Surrounded by family at the spectacular Induction Gala held at the Hilton Garden Inn Midtown, Mike was recognized for his extraordinary contributions as an athlete, coach, leader, and entrepreneur.
Congratulations Mike!
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The Western Producer
Fernie was included as a 'favourite' stop on a Kootenay Roadtrip in 'Crowsnest Highway great way to explore the Kootenays' by Robin & Arlene Karpan, published in October.
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Mountain Biker Rémy Métailler
Mountain biking personality Rémy Métailler took on Fernie's trail system and documented his epic visit in a 30-minute Youtube feature.
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Photographer Cole De Marco
Photographer Cole De Marco captured some stunning images of Fernie during a visit in September, which were shared on his Instagram stories and feed.
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Lemons For Days
Tourism Fernie collaborated with Jasmin Shannon to produce pieces to support the 'Fernie Fills my Cup' promotion, including an Instagram Reel & Blog feature.
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Welcome Lizzy!
Tourism Fernie is pleased to welcome Lizzy Reimer to the team as Social Media & Content Coordinator.
Lizzy will help plan, execute and evolve our digital presence and support a variety of other marketing and destination projects.
Lizzy comes to us with a wealth of experience in digital marketing and photography having worked at Castle Mountain Resort, and in Waterton. Contact lizzy@tourismfernie.com.
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Tourism Fernie Visitor Surveys
The Summer Visitor Survey was conducted from July 8 - October 12, 2024. Responses were up 225% on 2023, with 78% being drive traffic (both short & long haul). Results came from a broad range of visitors with the majority being:
- visitors aged 41-50 staying less than 30 days
- In Fernie for leisure purposes for 2-3 days
- Travelling with family & friends on road trips or scenic exploring
Over 95% said their visit had met their expectations and 99% said they would, or would maybe, return to Fernie.
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We are now working on the Winter Visitor Survey with a goal of further expanding audience reach and responses. To support our data collection, please consider displaying our tent cards and/or poster in your business. To request materials for winter 2024-2025, please email rebecca@tourismfernie.com. | |
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Welcome new member - Bower Builders
Eric and Juliana Bower, the husband-and-wife duo behind Bower Builders, bring over 20 years of combined expertise in the trades. They are dedicated to exceeding their client’s expectations and making the home construction process an easy and enjoyable journey through every stage.
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Welcome new member - Infinitea Events
Owner & operator Stephanie Fleming has over 10 years experience planning events from intimate performances to family functions to multi-day festivals. She is well known in Fernie for her fun-filled events and also offers wedding co-ordination and a full range of event planning services.
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RDEK Elk Valley OCP Survey Results
A summary of the results of the OCP Survey, which closed on August 31, is now available on the RDEK website.
Follow the page for updates as the process continues, or sign up for email updates.
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Perez McKenzie Immigration Consultations
Offer ongoing! For anyone that has foreign staff on their team and is interested in learning more about how to support your employee through different work permits or permanent resident pathways – this is for you!
Click the link for information regarding the Immigration Consultation session with Perez McKenzie and how to book a session. Tourism Fernie will cover the cost of an initial consultation at a value of $250.
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We welcome business updates from you that we can share in future e-newsletters. We also send a monthly e-newsletter to visitors promoting Fernie - if you don't already receive that email and would like to be added to the mailing list, please email info@tourismfernie.com.
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Important Dates & Industry Events | |
Nov 29 I Fernie Holiday Kick Off & Winter Opening Days | | |
Dec 3 I Fernie Ambassador Program | | |
Dec 3 - 5, 2024 I TIAC Tourism Congress - Vancouver | | |
Jan 27 - 29, 2025 I IMPACT Sustainable Tourism & Travel Summit - Victoria | | |
Jan 27 - Mar 10, 2025 I UVic Micro-certificate in Tourism Sustainability | | |
Feb 2, 2025 I The Wedding Fair - Calgary | | |
March 1 - 2, 2025 I The Outdoor & Adventure Show - Vancouver | | |
March 5 - 7, 2025 I BC Tourism Industry Conference - Vancouver | | |
March 29 - 30, 2025 I The Outdoor & Adventure Show - Calgary | | |
TOURISM FERNIE STAFF DIRECTORY
Have a question or update? Let us know!
From left to right:
Brona Kekenakova, Marketing Manager | brona@tourismfernie.com
Christine Grimble, Media/Travel Trade & Projects Manager | christine@tourismfernie.com
Jikke Gyorki, Executive Officer | jikke@tourismfernie.com
Corien Sieders, Destination Management & Development Manager | corien@tourismfernie.com
Rebecca Hall, Admin & Marketing Co-ordinator | rebecca@tourismfernie.com
Lizzy Reimer, Social Media & Content Coordinator | lizzy@tourismfernie.com (pictured above)
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We gratefully acknowledge that we do our business on the homelands of the
Ktunaxa Nation, Qukin ʔAmakʔis, and we honor and respect their ancestors of the past.
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The Official Corporate E-Newsletter for Tourism Fernie Society. Supporting the tourism sector through marketing and destination management initiatives.
Phone: 1-250-423-2037
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