I am so thrilled to announce that at the 2024 Edmonton Tourism Awards, I was the proud recipient of the inaugural Best Tourism Influencer Award!
I was already so honoured to be announced as a finalist for the 2024 Edmonton Tourism Awards earlier this spring. So to be the award recipient is so meaningful.
These awards—organized by Edmonton Destination Marketing Hotels with support from Explore Edmonton—started in 2023 to celebrate success, leadership and innovation in Edmonton’s tourism industry. For 2024, the awards expanded to include a few new categories including Best Tourism Influencer.
It is an absolute honour to receive this inaugural 2024 Edmonton’s Best Tourism Influencer Award.
Thank you to the Edmonton Tourism Award Judges for seeing in me a deep passion and commitment to showcasing Edmonton to locals and tourists alike.
Thank you to the many tourism partners, restaurant owners, tour operators, businesses I’ve worked with formally or informally to highlight the incredible things you do to the masses.
Thank YOU if you’ve ever eaten at a restaurant, visited a place, space, art, or done something because of my posts!!
Thank you to Alberta artist Nicole Tremblay for creating the stunning award itself.
Thank you to award organizers—it was a great program with a particularly wonderful opening drumming and jingle dance performance from Dancing Cree.
And congratulations to all winners and finalists. What a joy to be among and celebrate your tourism success, leadership and innovation.
I’ve been creating content to highlight food, art, and experiences as a hobby long before it turned into a career. I’ve seen firsthand the power social media has in connecting and uplifting community and I feel so fortunate I get to spotlight the amazing people and places that make Edmonton so special as my job.
Influencer marketing is often described as a ‘wild west’ because there is such a range of experience, education, and intention, along with not widely-known regulation. But it has had such a profound impact on tourism! It’s so nice to see content creation and that impact recognized at this level and I hope recognizing professional influencers in this way—alongside heavy hitters in tourism, alongside traditional media or other personalities, can help elevate and improve the industry for all involved.
I take being an ‘influencer’—creating content and working with companies to create content—very seriously and the responsibility of having so many look to me to ensure they have a good date night or quick trip or whatever experience based off of my recommendations is not something I take lightly. That emphasis on ethics and integrity as an influencer is something I believe judges of the 2024 Edmonton Tourism Awards saw and valued.
Below is the award write-up from the Edmonton Tourism Awards and video feature from the award show.
(The Idea Factory in Edmonton created fantastic videos for all finalists!)
2024 Edmonton Tourism Awards Best Tourism Influencer:
“Linda Hoang, known as “lindork” online, is an important figure in Edmonton’s tourism scene. She seamlessly combines her love for the city with her expertise in content creation. Since transitioning to a full-time influencer in 2019, after a decade of part-time engagement, Linda has consistently elevated Edmonton’s profile through her engaging and informative content. Her blog and social media platforms brim with recommendations for dining, events, and activities, reflecting her deep-rooted passion for the city.
Linda’s curated guides and weekly listings embody her commitment to showcasing Edmonton’s vibrant culture and local businesses. Her notable collaborations with organizations like Explore Edmonton and the Downtown Business Association have amplified the city’s tourism appeal, drawing attention to events and initiatives that celebrate Edmonton’s dynamic spirit.
Her strategic approach to content creation, coupled with her marketing and communications background, ensures that her promotions are not only appealing but also meaningful and impactful. Linda’s dedication to highlighting minority and women-owned businesses further enriches her narrative, offering a comprehensive view of the city’s diverse tourism landscape.
Linda’s consistent engagement with her audience through various platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, and her blog, underpins her reputation as a trustworthy and influential voice in tourism. Her impressive analytics, with thousands of followers and high engagement rates, underscore her influence and reach.
Given her extensive contributions to Edmonton’s tourism industry, Linda Hoang exemplifies the essence of a leading tourism influencer. Her strategic, ethical, and passionate promotion of Edmonton enhances the city’s tourism appeal and fosters a deeper appreciation and understanding of its unique character and offerings.”
I can’t talk about creating content and not give a big thank you to my amazing, supportive and patient (lol) Instagram Husband Mike, along with the best friends I have who often come along for the ride with me—for fun but also as my unofficial photo and video crew. 😉🤳📸🎥
I am grateful to be surrounded by people who inspire and lift me up each and evey day.
In closing, I think back to more than 15 years ago (aging myself here lol) when posting photos of food wasn’t yet widely accepted, you’d often hear the criticism, “who cares about your lunch. That isn’t important.”
I think about that every so often over the years because truly—where to eat, what to eat, food I’m eating, these are absolutely topics people care about. Topics that my amazing community that I am fortunate to share and engage with—care about!
While I post more than just food topics—at the core of the content I create, that love, interest, and frankly need for good food made by good people, that shared experience and connection over food, matters so much.
I think we can all agree today that people do in fact care about what you’re eating so, please continue to post your food proudly (whether you’re an ‘influencer’ or not!) We love to see it.
THANK YOU!!!!
Linda
- Follow @lindork on Twitter
- Follow @lindork on Instagram
- Like Lindork – Linda Hoang on Facebook
- Follow @lindork on TikTok
- Subscribe to my YouTube Channel
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