Vancouver’s Southwest Washington Convention and Visitors Bureau has launched a new brand to differentiate the city from Vancouver, B.C., its namesake to the north in Canada.
“Visit Vancouver USA, Discover the Original,” was developed on the heels of the recent Winter Olympics, held in the “other” Vancouver.
The new brand comes with a new Web site and ongoing support for the area’s numerous attractions, including dining, entertainment, and recreation.
Vancouver and its surrounding cities offer an eclectic blend of historic sites with modern amenities like fine dining, wine tasting, and boutique shopping. The region is considered the gateway to popular Northwest attractions such as the Columbia River Gorge, Mt. St. Helens, and Washington’s many scenic coastal towns.
“We are very excited about this new direction and believe it will bode well for attracting tourists and meetings to the region,” said Vancouver Mayor Tim Leavitt. “The brand puts a fresh and vibrant new face on our region while not overlooking our deep historic roots.”
The convention and visitors bureau developed the marketing campaign with input from regional community and civic leaders, local business owners and managers, and members of the local hospitality industry.
“I am confident that this brand will begin clearing up the confusion between the Canadian city and our city, which was really reinforced during the 2010 Winter Olympics,” said Gerry Link, the general manager of the Hilton Vancouver Washington and Vancouver Convention Center. “We received numerous calls from travelers who mistakenly thought they were calling the other Vancouver.”
