The Power of Media: Carley Fortune's "Our Perfect Storm"
Every day, travellers are influenced by media - whether it's a news story, a magazine article, a TV show, social media post, or in this case, a New York Times bestselling author - Carley Fortune.
With over four million books sold and readership spanning 30 languages, Carley’s stories have introduced readers from around the world to some of Canada’s incredible destinations, such as Barry’s Bay, Ontario; Prince Edward Island, and most recently, to our backyard, here in Tofino.
Her latest novel, Our Perfect Storm, shines a spotlight on Tofino’s rugged coastline, expansive beaches, and coastal charm. This book has generated widespread conversation among readers, travel writers and tourism observers – with some joking that Destination Canada should sponsor Carley’s novels because of their ability to inspire travel across the country. While lighthearted, this thought highlights a powerful truth: compelling storytelling can create genuine interest in a destination and motivate people to experience it for themselves.
Since its May 2026 release, the book has generated a wave of travel features, social media content, and reader conversations that have collectively reached an audience that no tourism campaign has ever touched. Readers worldwide are looking at flights to Vancouver Island, researching floating saunas and foraging tours, and building itineraries based on a week as their favourite fictional characters, spent in these rainforests and on these beaches – like this reel by @forestandfiction.
The novel doesn’t just advertise Tofino, it inhabits it. Our media monitoring tools show that there have been over 700 placements, with an estimated reach of over 2 billion individuals, and an advertising equivalent spend of over $19 million dollars. Outside Online published a full travel guide built around the novel’s itinerary – titled “I Lived the Vacation from Carley Fortune’s New Novel. It Was Even Better in Real Life.” The coverage has run in The New York Times, People Magazine, Country Living, Yahoo!, and Outside, to name a few – all organically, without any advertising spend.
This is the power of earned media, and it’s not reserved for bestselling novels. Every journalist hosted for a meal, every travel writer invited on an experience, every creator who leaves Tofino with a story worth telling has the potential to inspire future visitors. That kind of authentic influence is worth far more than any ad you can run.
Interested in learning more about earned media opportunities? Please reach out to