Here, we grumble and mumble about Tourism B.C.’s expensive star-studded “You Gotta Be Here” Campaign. Millions of tax-payers went to movie stars and sports legends to hock our coasts and mountains. Our neighbours over in Alberta are rumbling about quite the opposite. An advertisement campaign launched by Corporate Ethics International is urging travelers to stay away from the Rockies and Lake Jasper.
Displeased with the provincial government’s support of oil sands, “Rethink Alberta” compares Alberta to the recent Mexican Gulf Oil Spill and the plundering of Pandora. Pulling at heart-strings and attracting eye-balls, our sister province has gained plenty of unwanted attention. Alberta’s brand image has been tarnished. Regardless of what the reality of the oil industry may be, it is the perception that matters. Many American and British travelers are choosing another destination.
Conceded, we do need to consider the moral implications of our choices. What troubles me, however, is the people who are impacted by “Re-think Alberta”. Instead of Big Oil, it is the ordinary Albertans in the travel and service sectors who are suffering.
This campaign needs to rethink.
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