Business in Banff got a big boost with American celebrity Kelly Ripa filming four of her daytime talk shows here this week, showing off Banff National Park to her loyal viewers around North America.
The last of four shows of Live! With Kelly, taped at The Banff Centre this week, aired Thursday (April 5) and local tourism officials hope exposure will encourage Americans to head north of the border for their vacations.
On air, Ripa raved about Banff National Park, including her experiences snowshoeing, skiing at Lake Louise and getting the chance to smash plates and drink ouzo at Banff’s family-run Balkan Greek restaurant.
“She has been a fabulous ambassador for the destination,” said Julie Canning, president and CEO of Banff Lake Louise Tourism, who had the chance to meet Ripa.
“She’s been openly raving about how glorious Banff and Lake Louise are.”
Ripa, a 41-year-old mother of three, showcased all things Canadian on Live! With Kelly.
In fact, Mounties dressed in full uniform, a recognized symbol of Canada around the world, escorted Ripa and husband Mark Consuelos down the aisle of the Eric Harvie Theatre for her first show on Sunday (April 1).
“Please get on an airplane or a horse because it’s pretty spectacular,” she said of Banff National Park to her estimated 3.8 million-viewer television audience during the first taping of her show. “Banff is incredible.”
Later that night, Banff Mayor Karen Sorensen and her husband Carsten got the chance to schmooze with Ripa during a chance encounter while she was out for dinner at the Balkan Restaurant.
The mayor said she was already seated when Ripa, her husband and Big Bang Theory’s Johnny Galecki waltzed in and were escorted to a back room of the family-run Greek restaurant.
“I didn’t want to be intrusive, but I asked the manager to see if it’s appropriate to let her know I was there and if I could say hello, and she said, ‘of course’,” said Sorensen.
“She was incredibly gracious; she’s as genuine in person as she portrays. She’s very friendly, very enthusiastic and very warm. She just loved Banff and loves the area and she’s talking about coming back in the summer with her kids.”
During the taping of Live! On Monday morning, Ripa bantered on air with Sorensen, introducing the mayor to the audience, and talking about their brief meeting the evening before.
“There was some fun banter back and forth,” said Sorensen.
Travel Alberta – the tourism marketing agency of the Alberta government – set aside $1.5 million to get Ripa to bring her show to Banff National Park.
Travel Alberta paid $850,000 directly, with the rest of the funding coming from tourism partners, including Air Canada, Brewster and Fairmont Hotels.
According to Travel Alberta, this province attracts about 810,000 visitors a year from the United States, who spend more than $560 million a year here.
Tourism officials say the dollars spent on bringing Ripa here are more than worth it, noting Live! With Kelly is worth about $22 million in free media publicity.
Canning, who said Americans account for about 25 per cent of the visitors to Banff, said she is hopeful Americans who watched Live! With Kelly will make the trip to Banff.
“Certainly we see a lot of our core market – Texas, California, New York – aligned with her audience and we certainly expect another strong year from the American market,” she said.
“As global events happen, Canada is always looked to as a safe destination, a kind of fun but bit different destination, and we encourage Americans to visit their neighbours to the north.”
This was Ripa’s first time in Banff, although, along with Regis Philbin before his departure last November, the show was filmed in Prince Edward Island and Niagara Falls in 2010.
Her Banff guests included Galecki, American Pie actor Jason Biggs, Canadian comedian Caroline Rhea, electro-pop group Far East Movement, Canuck GCB star David James Eliott and Toronto R&B artist Melanie Fiona.
The Bachelor’s Chris Harrison, Twilight star Peter Facinelli, Consuelo and Ben Mulroney of eTalk co-hosted.
