New visitor centre will enhance city experience

Editor: The Kelowna Chamber of Commerce has shared space with Tourism Kelowna since 1986 on Harvey Avenue at Ellis.

During that time, the chamber has observed both of the organization’ operational needs shift.

The chamber is pleased to support the wellresearched and thought-out plans made by Tourism Kelowna to move its high- profile centre closer to the downtown area, on the Queensway jetty lands.

The issue of location of the updated Tourism Kelowna building is one that the chamber has followed with great interest.

Vibrant city centres are strong contributors to business growth and development. An energetic, centrally located tourism centre, dispensing goodwill and vital information will create a lively and animated destination for our visitors and residents alike.

The centre excels in dispensing this information in a growing range of languages spoken by centre ambassadors, in addition to providing event ticket sales and access to the internet for travellers.

Research and public hearings showing 73 per cent in favour of the move, and the renewed building footprint for the west end of Queensway are all strong indicators of success and acceptance of the new centre.

The reduced building size and setback from the boardwalk are well-considered and positive responses to public input asking for uninterrupted access to the lakefront.

Thousands of visitors will, in the future, feature Okanagan Lake in their photographs as background, as they come and go from the newly situated visitor centre.

In addition, many of our local businesses will be able to place their goods in the retail sales area — honey, other locally sourced food products, books, artwork, and much more.

Purchases of such by visitors and locals alike will contribute to the healthy economy of Kelowna and region.

Promoting Kelowna, and its businesses, not to mention its warm and welcoming representatives is definitely something all of us at the chamber support.

We all want Kelowna and region to continue to develop as a centre that everyone wants to visit, consider relocation to, and put down roots. We’re all the richer for it

Tom Dyas, president, Kelowna Chamber of Commerce