The Bachelor in BC? I stumbled across this news release while reviewing some market research studies on the BC Tourism website. Vancouver and Whistler will appear in next week’s episode of The Bachelor. Byron, the bachelor, will bring a date to Vancouver for a rooftop dinner at the Hotel Vancouver and a stop at the Chateau Whistler. The Canadian Tourism Commission, Tourism BC, Tourism BC, Tourism Whistler, Air Canada and Fairmont Hotels teamed up to court the producers of the ABC show. They’re hush-hush about whether money exchanged hands, but paid placement is hardly news for reality shows these days.

Never one to play the fool, Fairmont Hotels has launched RomanceinBC.com. Once the show airs (and the apparent mystique lifts), the site will feature packages that recreate experiences from The Bachelor. It’s hardly the Sound of Music tour in Salzburg (I’ll admit I succumbed), but the Vancouver-Whistler placement just might pay off — consider The Bachelor a one-hour ad for BC, as part of the lead up to 2010.

(c) 2004 by Andrea Coutu. Vancouver Marketing Consultant. All rights reserved.