Castlegar, BC – May 1, 2018 – Today, the Castlegar and District Chamber of Commerce and Destination Castlegar launched the free Castlegar Explorers mobile app, which rewards users for visiting unique points of interest in and around Castlegar, BC. Once people use the app to collect points at various destinations, they can redeem those points for large discounts at more than a dozen area businesses. The app was created using the 468 Insider platform provided by the British Columbia Economic Development Association (BCEDA) and 468 Communications.

“Castlegar has a rich culture, arts community and outdoor recreation for every enthusiast; and now we have a way to reward people for exploring all of that,” said Tammy Verigin-Burk, Executive Director of the Castlegar and District Chamber of Commerce. “The Castlegar Explorers app showcases the best of our valley while creating incentives for both visitors and residents to explore and shop at local businesses.”

The Castlegar Explorers app is both a wayfinding tool and a gamified way to reward people for exploring. The app’s Explore button takes users to the map of Castlegar and District, BC, which has pins indicating the location of the area’s unique points of interest.  Clicking on each pin on the map gives more information about that place. Locations are assigned a point value. Pushing the “Collect Points” button while physically visiting a location will add the location’s points to a user’s point total.

At launch, Castlegar Explorers app users can redeem their collected points for rewards ranging from discounts on tours and lodging to as much as 50% off at certain businesses. Rewards locations include: Canadas Best Value Inn & Suites Castlegar, Cartwrights Pub, Castlegar Golf Club, Crumbs Bakery, Endless Adventure Inc., Gravi Tea Coffee and Toys, Mallards Source for Sports, Mother Natures, Mountain High Lighting, Rest Assured Kootenay Floats, Sandman Hotel Castlegar, Unwind Yarns.

The Castlegar Explorers app is available now as a free download on the iTunes App Store and Google Play. Local businesses interested in offering a reward to increase traffic to their place of business should contact Andrea Ryman at destination@castlegar.com.

About Castlegar and District
Come and visit the centre of it all. Where mountains and rivers meet in a fertile valley that boasts rich cultural heritage, a thriving artistic scene and more than enough outdoor recreation for every kind of enthusiast. Take the time to reconnect with what’s important by stopping by the little city in the valley. We look forward to seeing you.

About 468 Insider
Available from BCEDA and 468 Communications, 468 Insider is a customizable mobile app that drives visitor engagement and commerce for communities by rewarding users for visiting places. Communities can easily customize the look and feel, locations and content in their own, branded apps. An online control panel provides valuable data including the popularity of individual destinations, periods of peak activity, and what part of the world visitors are from. For more information contact BCEDA at 604-795-7119 or visit www.468insider.com.