The first promotional pamphlet issued by the new Discovery Langley City marketing agency includes a list of the “Top 10 things” to see and do in the City, ranging from well-established attractions like the Cascades Casino to newer draws like Penzer Parkour Park, and the still-under-development Mural Walk.
The colourful pamphlets, which arrived from the printers last week, are the first tourism promotion undertaken by the new agency, which was created after the City left a joint marketing arrangement with Langley Township last year.
It is the first time there has been a tourism promotion that was exclusively devoted to Langley City attractions, said Discover Langley City operations manager Melissa Phillips.
The goal of the pamphlet and list was to “highlight some of the hidden gems that people are still learning about with the City” Phillips said.
The list of top attractions was part of a keep-it-simple approach to give would-be visitors an idea of the wide range of things to see and do in Langley City.
“It’s a stepping stone,” Phillips said.
“We didn’t want to put too much on there.”
The “Top 10” list in the pamphlet includes the Penzer Parkour Park, described as a “10,000 sq. ft. outdoor park full of bike jumps, walls, drops and skateboard tracks for all levels,” Sendall Gardens and Brydon Lagoon, which are listed together as “beautiful botanical gardens featuring three acres of nature trails, duck ponds and a seasonal tropical greenhouse,” the Al Anderson Memorial Pool (“best outdoor, summer swimming fun in the Fraser Valley”), the many walking trails in the City, Douglas Park, McBurney Plaza, the “unique shopping and eateries” offered by the City, and the Cascades Casino.
The list also include a Mural Walk, a “new product that we’re working on right now,” Phillips said.
The Walk will feature a self-guided tour of murals created by local artists, some of which are still being worked on, Phillips said.
The top 10 list includes Newlands Golf Course, a world-class facility which many people don’t realize is in the City, Phillips noted.
“We were proud to be able to be able to put in the golf course that’s technically on the city side,” Phillips said.
The pamphlet includes a birds-eye view of the city that showcases the sites of indoor and outdoor attractions.
It also lists signature events like the McBurney Plaza summer series and the Arts Alive festival.
“It’s a brand-new place to start to get us on the map” Phillips said.
Other lists can be veiwed on the discoverlangleycity.com website.
The website lays claim to the title of “truly the hub of the Fraser Valley, surrounded by nature in an urban city center” for the City, with suggested daily itineraries, five “ best bets” for visitors and a list of summertime events.
Discover Langley City was created after the City and the Township split over the administration of Tourism Langley, the agency that used to represent both municipalities.
READ MORE: Promoting Langley City: new agency launches
The City’s decision to separate itself from Tourism Langley came after several months of discord.
In December 2016, Tourism Langley executive director Deborah Kulchiski resigned as the Township considered departure from the destination marketing organization.
In February, the board called a special meeting to vote on dissolution of the organization, following a list of demands from the Township of Langley that the board felt was excessive.
The Tourism Langley membership voted to keep the organization going, but the following day, the City of Langley announced plans to explore alternative tourism models.
In March, Tourism Langley chair Teri James, treasurer Karen Long and director Lynn Whitehouse resigned from the organization.
READ MORE: City tourism agency warned against using similar-sounding name to Tourism Langley
When Langley City announced it was leaving Tourism Langley, the press release stated that “Langley City, in consultation with Langley City tourism industry stakeholders, has concluded that it is in the best interest of its tourism stakeholders to create a new Tourism Langley City entity to serve as the tourism Destination Marketing Organization for the community, and that its functions and services be delivered through a new service provider.”
The Township responded with an announcement that it was “pleased to continue working with Tourism Langley to promote the municipality and show visitors from across B.C. and around the world what its 120,000 residents already know.”
dan.ferguson@langleytimes.com
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