Destination BC

The beauty of British Columbia draws visitors from around the world to drink in the mountainous vistas, serene lakes and plentiful wildlife. For those who love nature, this province is a whirlwind romance, sweeping them off their feet with its majesty.

But the relationship between humans and nature is a complicated one, and as emore and more visitors came to British Columbia during peak season, things got rocky. Overcrowding caused traffic congestion and parking frustrations for visitors and locals alike. Disrespectful land use led to increases in litter, trespassing and harmful interactions with wildlife, as well as other forms of environmental and resource degradation.

Destination British Columbia, along with other DMOs forming the Sea-to-Sky Corridor Destination Development Strategy, came to Origin with a request: Help us create a shift in behavior among visitors and residents so we can safeguard what we love most – our nature.

A survey of over 600 tourism and community partners and local residents elevated “respect” and “outdoor conduct” as the most important educational lessons to promote through the campaign. Indigenous community partners contributed their perspective and passion, culminating in the creation of our heartfelt message: Don’t Love It To Death.

Through an evocative campaign with disturbing imagery of real-life tourism gone wrong, locals and visitors learned how to create change and enact responsible travel. The campaign was initially delivered entirely through paid and organic social advertising linked to a dedicated microsite that created an engaging and informative consumer journey. Later, out-of-home executions brought the message to a broader audience to capture attention, while paid digital campaigns and an impactful video prompted action. An ambassador program and adoption by key tourism and environmental groups in the region further humanized the issue to foster a movement that would not only prompt audiences to change their behaviors but also to educate others.

Because of the collaboration between DMOs, Indigenous communities and other local community members, “Don’t Love It To Death” successfully amplified the campaign’s message: When you love something as much as we love British Columbia’s nature, you take steps to protect it – you don’t love it to death.

BC Tourism Industry Award for Sustainability Excellence