The Nanaimo Airport's #Reconnect with Canada Coast-to-Coast campaign earned them some international recognition. (Nanaimo Airport Facebook page)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

international acclaim

Nanaimo airport makes the finals for international marketing award

Oct 30, 2022 | 8:31 AM

NANAIMO — The Nanaimo airport has received some international recognition for its efforts to help connect people from coast to coast.

The airport was a finalist for the Airport Council International award for excellence in airport marketing, communications, and customer experience for their summer promotional campaign connecting the west and east coasts.

Nanaimo Airport partnered with Halifax Standfield International Airport for a contest to connect travellers as restrictions were eased in early 2022 as part of their #Reconnect with Canada Coast-to-Coast campaign.

The grand prize was a six-night trip to Vancouver Island, which was won in a random draw by a nurse working in a COVID ward, who used the prize to take a honeymoon with her husband from Halifax to Vancouver Island.

Nurse Alaura and her husband won the grand prize, which included round-trip flights from Halifax to Nanaimo, three nights stay at the Long Beach Lodge and three at the Parksville Beach Club, and even a chartered helicopter flight from Tofino back to the Nanaimo Airport. (Nanaimo Airport’s Facebook Page)

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Dave Devana, president and CEO of the Nanaimo Airport Commission, said they wanted to symbolize all of Canada reconnecting post-COVID restrictions, with Halifax to Nanaimo being an easy one-stop flight connecting the coasts.

“We’re thrilled to be nominated for the impact we made on Canadians from the Atlantic Ocean to the Salish Sea and then onto the Pacific Ocean on the west coast of the Island,” Devana said. “We worked closely with Halifax Airport and our airline partners to continue to expand the travelling choices for the communities we serve.”

Halifax and Nanaimo were the smallest airports to be nominated and make it to the finals for the North America reward.

The eventual winner was Vancouver and Sea-Tax (Seattle), and a Milwaukee and Denver combination, all airports with much larger promotions budgets.

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