The first people Coquitlam’s brand new tourism website is trying to attract to Coquitlam live in Coquitlam.
The city launched a standalone site, visitcoquitlam.ca, this month so those wanting to know what to do, what events are happening and where to eat and drink don’t have to go searching through the city’s website.
Fun is in Our Nature is the slogan that highlights the home page with a sub-headline saying “Here in Coquitlam, adventure doesn’t mean getting out of town…it means staying right where you are.”
That second slogan, however, is aimed at regional residents with easy access via SkyTrain as much as it is those who live in Coquitlam, said Eric Kalnins, the city’s tourism manager.
Kalnins said the city wanted to promote and showcase Coquitlam to both residents and visitors, especially those coming to participate in tournaments or other events and want to find something to do in their down time. Most online surfers of the city’s website, he said, are seeking information on street closures, swimming lessons and garbage pickup, not tourist-type info.
He wanted the website to be bright, image rich, lots of content, and blogs and it would change with the seasons.
“I wanted a way to help promote festivals and events that come here,” said Kalnins. “This lets me be more creative and gives us an opportunity to showcase Coquitlam.
“There’s much more to it than being a regular suburb.”
For instance, he said, there’s more than 300 places to eat in the city with at interesting selection of ethnic eateries such as Korean and Persian.
There’s also hiking and biking maps, arts and theatre listings, and recreational activities opportunities.
The website was launched as part of a five-year tourism strategy the city developed in 2015.
To celebrate the new site, Tourism Coquitlam is holding a contest for the public to submit their favourite places to find fun in Coquitlam. For a chance to enter follow Visit Coquitlam on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
