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<p><span style="font-size:23.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1E9B00">MEDIA ADVISORY</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><img width="67" height="201" id="_x0000_i1025" src="cid:b4ee8132-7b10-4b91-b662-7c84a3927276" name="null"><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";color:black">September</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">
<span style="color:black">15</span>, 2015</span></strong><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><strong> </strong><o:p></o:p></p>
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<strong><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">Royal BC Museum declared best in Canada by TripAdvisor for second year running<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:-12.0pt;text-autospace:none"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">VICTORIA, BC –
</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal">For the second year in a row, reviewers on TripAdvisor.ca have picked the Royal BC Museum as the best museum in Canada, topping a 2015 list
that also includes the Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver and the Royal Ontario Museum.</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">
</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal"><o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:-12.0pt;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";color:black">It was announced today that the Royal BC Museum is recognized as the overall winner in the 2015 TripAdvisor
Travellers’ Choice awards for museums in Canada. TripAdvisor has highlighted the top museums based on the quantity and quality of reviews and ratings for museums, gathered over a 12-month period.<br>
<br>
</span><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal"><o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal">“To be declared the best museum in Canada for a second year in a row is obviously a huge honour for us and
we’re truly delighted,” said Dr Scott Cooper, Vice President of Collections, Knowledge and Engagement. “And to know the accolade really comes from our visitors, and not by jury, makes it all the more meaningful.”<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal">Every year the Royal BC Museum welcomes almost a million visitors to its Victoria, B<span style="color:black">ritish
Columbia</span> <span style="color:black">location</span></span></strong><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-weight:normal"></span></strong><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal">
(and another two million online). According to visitors surveyed in August 201<span style="color:black">5</span>,
<span style="color:black">56</span> per cent said <span style="color:black">the museum was a factor in their decision to come</span> to Victoria. Furthermore, 4<span style="color:black">7</span> per cent of summer visitors were from out-of-province.
</span></strong><strong><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal"><o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:-12.0pt;text-autospace:none"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:-12.0pt;text-autospace:none"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal">Through reviews on TripAdvisor.ca, visitors have shown particular appreciation for the
Royal BC Museum’s natural history dioramas, First Nations galleries, temporary exhibitions (including this summer’s
<i>Gold Rush! El Dorado in BC)</i> and exceptional customer service.<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal">“Honouring nearly 600 institutions worldwide, the Travellers’ Choice awards have recognized the favourite
museums that serve as cultural treasure troves for our community of millions,” said Barbara Messing, chief marketing officer for TripAdvisor. “These world-class museums provide an enriching experience that can be both inspiring and educational for travellers
around the globe.” </span></strong><strong><span style="font-weight:normal"><o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";color:#993300;font-weight:normal"> <o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:-12.0pt;text-autospace:none"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal">Visitors can continue to provide the Royal BC Museum with their perspective online at
TripAdivsor.ca, or at the Royal BC Museum box office via comment cards.<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal">The complete list of 2014 Travellers’ Choice Attraction winners can be found at:</span></strong>
<strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal"><a href="http://www.tripadvisor.ca/TravelersChoice-Museums-cTop-g153339">http://www.tripadvisor.ca/TravelersChoice-Museums-cTop-g153339</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">About the Royal BC Museum<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="xbodytext" style="margin-top:.1pt;background:white"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">The Royal BC Museum explores the province’s human history and natural history, advances new knowledge and understanding of
BC, and provides a dynamic forum for discussion and a place for reflection. The museum and archives celebrate culture and history, telling the stories of BC in ways that enlighten, stimulate and inspire. Looking to the future, by 2017 the Royal BC Museum will
be a refreshed, modern museum, extending its reach far beyond Victoria as a world-class cultural venue and repository of digital treasures.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">- 30 -</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><strong> </strong><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">Media contact:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">Royal BC Museum Media Inquiries
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">250-387-3207<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><a href="mailto:news@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">news@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><img border="0" width="19" height="16" id="Picture_x0020_2" src="cid:image003.png@01D0EFA5.62065990" alt="Twitter_logo_blue"></span><a href="https://twitter.com/RoyalBCMuseum"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">@RoyalBCMuseum</span></a><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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