It was the height of harvest season in BC when Wine Growers British Columbia (WGBC) received the news: the Travel Weekly Magellan Awards announced a GOLD medal for the Wines of BC Explorer App, marking the first-ever for a wine tourism app, and only the second-ever for a Canadian-based App in the category.
The Accolade: The new global gold-standard for wine tourism The Place: British Columbia Wine Country is a premier wine region, ripe for discovery The App: Plan your wine tastings, shop for that perfect bottle, record wines you love, track your cellar, and more
The Magellan Awards is the premier award for the global travel industry, honouring only outstanding levels of design, marketing, and services - the Wines of BC Explorer App fit the bill perfectly in the Online Travel Services category. From plan-your-trip assistance to wine-education content and a personal taste test, the App is the best way for wine lovers to discover BC wine country, and in turn, acts as a perfect conduit for BC wineries to connect with potential guests. A glowing review from Mijune Pak, Iron Chef and Top Chef Canada Judge, states that the App is “an interactive space for everything BC wine… the App checks all the boxes when it comes to supporting the local [wine, food, and tourism] industry and making wine approachable for the community.” With all 300+ BC wineries listed on the App regularly updating new wine releases and tasting experiences, the increasing number of users can always find what they are looking for and even uncover something they did not know they would love! Features include:
Curated lists of wines and wineries An interactive taste test with resulting wine suggestions Shopping for wine and wine experiences Helpful filters to enable discovery, search by ‘organic wines’ or ‘dog-friendly wineries’ and more!
The WGBC team is always looking to improve and launch exciting new features, the most recent of which is a geo-location tool designed to assist users in finding wineries and wine shops closest to their location and preferences. “Our vision,” says Kim Barnes, Marketing Director for Wine Growers British Columbia, “is for all the answers to a BC wine lovers’ question to be readily available: What wine should they pair with their dinner? Check the App! Out touring with time for one more tasting? It’s easy to discover a new winery near their location. Check the App! We are thrilled to see this vision being realized with a highly engaged and growing group of App users.” The App is an essential tool for anyone looking to explore and enjoy BC wine; it has now “quickly become the gold standard in wine tourism,” states Alison Mckay, Acting Vice President of Destination Management, Destination BC. “We are a proud and long-standing partner of Wine Growers British Columbia, and we continue to be inspired by their innovation in enhancing BC’s reputation as a wine destination of choice. With nine distinct wine regions across the province, BC is ripe with tasting experiences to suit every traveler’s palate - all easily navigated and planned with their award-winning Wines of BC Explorer App. We are thrilled to see this esteemed recognition of their efforts as the gold medal recipient in the 2021 Travel Weekly Magellan Awards.” Android Download | iPhone Download | Web Version Click here for visual assets. Suggested tweet: Wines of BC Explorer App becomes the first wine tourism app to win GOLD in Travel Weekly’s Magellan Awards online services @winebcdotcom @travelweeklyus -End- Media ContactKelly Josephson, Communications Managerkjosephson@winebc.com · P. 250.762.9744 ext.114 · C. 250.869.2476 Wine Growers British Columbia Suite 470 - 1726 Dolphin AvenueKelowna, British Columbia Canada V1Y 9R9 Source: Wine Growers British Columbia