The Village of Midway and the Boundary Country websites have each been given a makeover and are ready for the 2014 world to look in on the Boundary.
The Midway website redesign began as a collaborative effort between village receptionist Jenny Simmonds and IT contractor Tom Shkrabuik. She eventually took over the reins and the project was completed in-house.
Simmonds says the intent is to make the site (midwaybc.ca/) more user-friendly. “The look and feel of it is more representative of the village than the old one,” says Simmonds. “The pictures and information has all been updated.”
She says she plans to change the site through the year to reflect the changing seasons and to that end she has put out a call for photographs. “If you have a photo that you would like to (potentially) see on the Village of Midway website please let us know! Historical photos, places of interest, or people enjoying what Midway has to offer are just a few ideas.” Contact her at midwayreception@shaw.ca
Events, notices from council, minutes, newsletters and meeting schedules will be regularly posted. The village is also to be found on Facebook.
“Neither Tom nor myself are website developers but we have given it a fresh look.”
Using matching funds from the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary and the provincial government’s Community Tourism Opportunities program Community Futures Boundary used the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) to complete a redesign of the “Boundary Country” website.
The new tourism website, which was launched May 15, incorporates the latest leadingedge tourism marketing strategies and displays compelling new images and stories about the memorable experiences travellers can enjoy here.
The TOTA team aligned Boundary’s website content with two new leading-edge tourism planning and marketing tools—the Thompson Okanagan 10- Year Regional Tourism Strategy and the Canadian Tourism Commission’s research-based “Explorer Quotient” (EQ) approach to tourism marketing. EQ identifies nine types of travellers based on their values and travel preferences and then tailors experience- rich imagery and text to inspire those most likely to visit a certain area.
The rejuvenated tourism website features lively photos, engaging text, lists of major attractions and activities, guides to the communities, informative notes about accommodations and restaurants, maps, and a service directory covering accommodations, restaurants, attractions, festivals and events, fruit stands, parks, recreational activities, and tours.
Boundary Community Futures General Manager Wendy McCulloch says the new website gives a shot-in-the-arm to Boundary’s tourism marketing.
“It really showcases our local attractions, activities and businesses and links in our Visitor Centres,” she said.
Boundary Country Regional Chamber of Commerce Executive Director James Wilson says the new website displays beautifully not only on computers, but also on mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones.
Wilson and staff at Community Futures Boundary will work with local businesses to keep fresh information on the website —including a regularly updated Events Calendar.