Tourism spikes, then dips

The tourist count at West Kelowna’s visitor centre doubled last year’s numbers, but heavy smoke caused many to cut their Okanagan vacation short.

Between May and August, about 6,500 people stopped in at the tourist centre in downtown Westbank. By comparison, only 3,000 visitors dropped by during the same period last year.

Visitor centre numbers were the highest since 2015, when about 6,700 people sought advice on local attractions such as wineries, farms, and hiking and biking routes.

The single largest group of tourists were from other parts of B.C., followed by local residents, then Europeans. Tourists from Alberta have been in decline at the visitor centre in recent years, according to a report that went to West Kelowna city council this week.

While total visitor numbers were up, the heavy and persistent smoke from wildfires cast a pall over the summertime tourist trade.

“Smoke filled the valley for almost the entire month of August, which made it difficult for our staff to make recommendations on what to see and do on the Westside, since many of the activities one can experience are outdoors,” the report states.

“Visitors appeared crestfallen, and the smoke forced many to change their travel plans,” the report says.

And many people who had planned to visit the Central Okanagan never arrived because of the smoke.

“We received many inquiries, in person, by phone and through email, about the wildfires and if it was safe to visit our area,” the report says.

The visitor centre operates out of a building that also serves as the Westbank Museum.