The Cariboo Chilcotin Coast has a starring role in Season 8 of the HISTORY® Channel’s hit survival series Alone that hit the airwaves June 3 at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT.
Participants on the show brave the elements, wildlife, and isolation in an effort to be the last person standing and win a $500,000 cash prize. Surrounded by the incredible beauty of the Central Interior, participants were based on Tŝilhqox Biny (Chilko Lake) in the traditional territory of the Tŝilhqot’in (Chilcotin) Nation and Xeni Gwet’in Indigenous peoples.
Read More: Williams Lake man makes it as far as History Channel’s Alone show bootcamp
In tandem with the show and its international audience, Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Tourism is running its highest-profile-ever campaign to encourage viewership of the show and awareness of the region as a tourism destination.
“This series will be one of the biggest spotlights ever shone on our incredible region, and people all over North America will see that the great place we live is a great place to visit,” said Amy Thacker, CEO of Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Tourism. “We want to make sure viewers across Canada and down the U.S. Northwest know about the show and can see our region is the best place to go for their future outdoor adventures when we are permitted to travel again.”
The CCCT campaign promoting the region includes social media, sponsored feature content, a dedicated webpage, and two contests. The aim is to build on the 18 local production jobs created and an estimated $2.0 million U.S. dollar production budget spent from September to November 2020.
The contest prizes being offered further promote a part of the region that has been especially hard-hit by COVID-19 and the loss of international travel. Contest entrants can enter to win an eight-day rafting and glamping adventure with Bear Camp; or a three-day ranch stay at White Saddle Country Inn and helicopter tour with White Saddle Air with in-region vehicle rental supplied by Bella Coola Vehicle Rentals. Both experiences are located near the filming locations of Alone Season 8, with round-trip flights from Vancouver to Williams Lake provided by Pacific Coastal Airlines.
“The Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Tourism Association promotes the responsible visiting of our region and also acts as the local film commission, encouraging productions to take advantage of the natural beauty in our backyards,” said Andre Kuerbis, Chair of the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Tourism Association board. “Our collaboration with the Alone production represents an incredible opportunity to highlight the land without limits to an incredibly large audience for when we’re able to welcome visitors again.”
Alone on the HISTORY® Channel is a reality show where individuals film themselves working to survive in the wild with limited survival gear. They are isolated from each other and all other humans. The show has been filmed all over the world, including Vancouver Island, southern Argentina, northern Mongolia, and the Northwest Territories.
“We are always looking for locations with rugged beauty and incredible wildlife. Chilko Lake and the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast area offered both in spades,” said one of Alone’s Executive Producers Ryan Pender. “Working with the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Tourism Association, BC Parks, and the Xeni Gwet’in people made our time in the area one of the best experiences the series has enjoyed to date.”
The U.S. cable network show airs June 3 at 9:30pm ET/PT on the HISTORY Channel until August 19 and refers to the Tŝilhqox Biny (Chilko Lake) area as ‘Grizzly Mountain’. Details on how to watch Season 8 of Alone, as well as how to enter to win the two Chilcotin getaway packages are online at www.landwithoutlimits.com/alone.
Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Tourism is a Regional Destination Management Organization that works in conjunction with the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture & Sport, Destination British Columbia, Destination Canada and industry partners in the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast region to help foster the growth of tourism. For more information on the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast region visit www.landwithoutlimits.com.
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