New Highway 3 Trip Planning Website

Highway 3 from Hope, British Columbia to the Alberta border is soon to be known as the best-loved touring route in BC, thanks to a unique multi-regional partnership to help market the route to visitors. The Highway 3 Tourism Alliance - a collaboration led by three regional destination marketing organizations (Kootenay Rockies Tourism Association, Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association, and Vancouver, Coast & Mountains) - launched its new website Hwy3BC.ca encouraging travellers to take the ‘winding route to adventure’.

The website showcases all the BC communities along Highway 3 like a ‘string of pearls’ and curates itineraries and stories from the road that have been themed to engage traveller passion for adventures, like Arts & Culture, Historic Highway 3, Food, Craft Beer & Wine, Lakes & Rivers, and Outdoor Adventure.

This collaborative regional initiative activates the vision of the Destination BC led Destination Development Strategy and action-planning for Highway 3, co-created with tourism partners from the entire length of the route. This 2016 strategy identified the opportunity to feature the many adventures along Highway 3 and encourage travellers to slow down and enjoy a classic road trip, touring from community to community at all times of year with the intention of driving visitation and spending in more places, across more seasons.

With support from both the Provincial Rural Dividend Fund and PacifiCan Tourism Relief Funding, the three regional destination management organizations (DMOs) together with community DMOs worked with Victoria-based creative agency, The Number, to create a new brand identity for Highway 3.

The new brand features a bold, modern take on the crow, inspired by the history of the Crowsnest Highway.  Market research informed the website design and a digital campaign subsequently launched on September 5, 2023 to encourage autumn travel. 

A corridor-long Festivals and Events strategy is also underway and the group hopes to continue their work together to secure funding and implement branded signage and wayfinding at key gateways and stops of interest.

Learn more and start exploring Hwy3BC.ca

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FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Kootenay Rockies Tourism
Wendy Van Puymbroeck
Wendy@kootenayrockies.com

Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association
Mike Overend
Mike@TOTABC.com

Vancouver, Coast & Mountains
Allison Picard
Allison.Picard@destinationbc.ca