Greater Sudbury’s nationwide exposure continues on air and online this week and initial results confirm the city has achieved its initial goal of building awareness.

Local hotels are already reporting bookings as a direct result of The Amazing Race Canada Sudbury episode,” said Greater Sudbury Mayor Brian Bigger. “CTV tells us that the Sudbury episode on August 12 was the most-watched episode of the season so far, attracting millions of viewers across the country. It’s clear that families and individuals want to experience our beautiful community for themselves and this is exactly the kind of response we had hoped for.”

“This tremendous opportunity isn’t over,” said Ian Wood, the City’s Director of Economic Development. “The first segment of the show on August 19 at 9 p.m. will recap the Greater Sudbury episode and show new footage as teams prepare to leave Sudbury for Saskatoon. In addition, a mid-season special, After the Race, will air at 10 p.m. and is likely to contain scenes from the Sudbury race.”

Economic Development staff are working to reinforce the awareness resulting from The Amazing Race Canada and maximize its value to the City’s marketing effort over the coming weeks and months.

“This effort isn’t just about attracting visitors,” continued Wood. “We’re hoping it also encourages citizens to do a little bragging and the social media conversations indicate that this is happening.”

“The positive comments are flowing on Twitter and Facebook, and SudburyTourism.ca is the focal point,” said Manager of Tourism and Culture, Meredith Armstrong. “Our regional and provincial tourism partners, Northeastern Ontario Tourism, Tourism Northern Ontario and Ontario Tourism, are helping us to expand our message through their online channels, especially to encourage viewers to watch a rebroadcast or stream the show from the web.”

Finally, The Amazing Race Canada project brought Alex Trebek back to Greater Sudbury for the first time in 25 years. Trebek greeted finishing teams for much of the day before leaving for a pre-arranged family reunion celebration.

”The Amazing Race Canada provided a great opportunity for me to reconnect with my hometown. I enjoyed my role of greeting contestant teams and chatting about their experiences and impressions of Sudbury. We all agreed that the city exceeded our expectations and Sudbury’s combination of innovative activities and beautiful landscapes make the city a compelling destination. According to a national poll, Greater Sudbury is also the happiest place in Canada; and it also made me happy by allowing me to visit members of my extended family,” said Trebek, proud Sudbury native and host of Jeopardy!.

For more information about Greater Sudbury on The Amazing Race Canada, visit www.sudburytourism.ca.