From the October 2009 HSMAI Marketing Review's "Success Stories That Inspire" by Harvey Chipkin

Another reality show provided a scenic destination with unparalleled opportunities to show off its geographic beauty, even if most viewers tune in to watch highly attractive people.

THE DESTINATION: Tourism BC, the tourism agency for British Columbia.

THE SITUATION: As British Columbia approaches the Vancouver 2010 Olympics and Paralympic Winter Games, the province is doing everything it can to create excitement and wide exposure. The province had worked with "The Bachelor" reality show in 2004 and had a good experience with that promotion.

THE SOLUTION: British Columbia decided to work with "The Bachelorette" on filming episodes locally. Initially, the show was going to film one episode in Whistler. However, during negotiations with producers, it turned out that the Bachelorette, Jillian Harris, was a Vancouver resident. As a result, British Columbia was featured in three episodes' each two hours in length and all showcasing the wide range of tourism activities available. For instance, in one show, the Bachelorette takes her eight remaining suitors onboard the Rocky Mountaineer for a train journey through stunning landscapes. Tourism BC escorted The Bachelorette crew on their scouting and filming trips in the province to provide location expertise. The agency also assisted with ground transportation. Local suppliers provided accommodations and activities.

THE RESULTS: Each episode had close to seven million U.S. viewers, on a show where a 30-second advertising spot costs $300,000. On top of the six hours of primetime television, British Columbia has been enjoying extensive ancillary media coverage. In addition, Tourism BC's online team targeted specific key words related to "The Bachelorette" through Google Ad Words and successfully drove an increase in traffic to its www.HelloBC.com site. The phones started ringing right away for tourism partners in the province.