11/02/12, 01:43:25 EST

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Tourism promotion winner to get Toyota

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The Division of Tourism's "Answer the Call" contest is seeking vacation videos that capture the state's theme of wildlife, outdoor adventures and scenic getaways.

It may require a bit more creativity than playing the Dice Game on "The Price is Right," but you could win a spanking new Toyota Camry Hybrid from the state Division of Tourism, of all places.

All you need is a keen eye for the Mountain State's natural beauty and the know-how to run a video camera.

No brain-stumping trivia or wheel-spinning is involved in winning the grand prize.

You just simply need to submit the best video.

And the state doesn't have to cough up any money for the car.

Charles Ryan and Associates, which handles public relations and marketing for Tourism, contacted Toyota about a possible partnership for the contest, said state travel director Liz Chewning.

Toyota, which has ties to the area with its Buffalo plant, donated the grand prize.

The Camry Hybrid is a 2008 model and the winner will determine its custom features, such as color, Chewning said.

The suggested retail price of a new Camry Hybrid is $25,200. It can obtain up to 34 miles per gallon of gasoline due to its gas/electric hybrid engine.

"Toyota is a great partner," Chewning said. "The hybrid nature of the car, West Virginia tourism and the trend for greenness all ties together."

Tourism officials have received 55 submissions from around the country since the contest kicked off in July.

Entrants have until Oct. 31 to send in their footage, which must run between one and three minutes.

"The best part is the number of people who are going on to look at the videos on the Web site," Chewning said.

Thirty-four of the videos have been posted on www.wviscalling.com. Since the site opened in July, more than 132,000 views have been recorded.

Some submitted videos didn't make the cut.

"We got a videotape of a place in India," Chewning said. "Why someone sent that in, I don't know."

The most viewed video as of Wednesday featured trout fishing and was titled, "Canaan Valley to Welch and All Points In Between."

Coming in at second was a slideshow of still images from across the state to the soundtrack of a Jack Johnson song.

The third most popular video was of a caboose adventure in Durbin, Pocahontas County.

An internal team of three Tourism officials, which includes Chewning, reviews the videos before posting them online.

Visitors to the site can vote for their favorite, or least favorite, videos. Those ratings will carry some weight when the panel chooses the best video after Oct. 31.

"People are highlighting the quietness, solitude and beauty of the mountains and vistas of the state," Chewning said. "They're getting more and more creative."

Most entries are coming from West Virginia residents, while folks from Virginia and Ohio represent a close second and third, she said.

The division has received videos as far away as Wyoming.

The goal of the contest is to increase awareness of West Virginia as a premier destination for a weekend getaway from large urban centers in the surrounding states, Tourism commissioner Betty Carver has stated.

Chewning said to expect more interactive features regarding Tourism's promotions and contests.

"Whether there's another video contest like this, we'll have to wait and see," she said. "We like engaging the consumer, and getting consumer-generated content is important."

 Printable Version  | published Oct 15, 2007