3.5 million tourists by 2022
Steve MacNaull, 250-470-0767
Kelowna is well on its way to attracting 3.5 million visitors a year by 2022. At Tourism Kelowna’s recent annual general meeting at the Kelowna Yacht Club, the 100 in attendance heard how the group’s strategic plan is working.
In addition to Kelowna’s four tourism cornerstones of lakes and beaches, golf, ski and wine, diversification is successfully underway attracting tourists for more winter activities, LGBT travel, culinary tourism and Indigenous offerings.
Currently, about two million tourists come to Kelowna annually generating $1.25 billion in economic activity.
A jump to 3.5 million tourists in the next four years is ambitious, but doable, according to Tourism Kelwona.
Tourism Kelowna is also after sustainable tourism certification to add to its Destination Marketing Accreditation.
The new Kelowna Visitor Centre on the promenade between Kerry and Waterfront parks is a hit.
Since it opened in June it has welcomed 108,000 visitors, surpassing in just six months the original goal of serving 100,000 anually.
“This year proved yet again we have the right team in place, working on the right priorities at the right time,” said Tourism Kelowna chairman Thom Killingsworth, who is also manager of the Kelowna Yacht Club.
While smoky skies from summer forest fires slowed tourism in the traditional high season, the 2018 portion of winter, spring and fall were strong, keeping hotel occupancy 1.3 per cent higher this year, compared to 2017.
“We have a strong, resilient tourism industry, but going forward, diversifying our tourism offerings will be key to our evolution to becoming a four-season outdoor destination,” said Tourism Kelowna president Lisanne Ballantyne.
“We have new market opportunities in 2019 that will solidify that path and set us well on the way to our goal of 3.5 million annual visitors by 2022.”
The AGM also saw Tourism Kelowna’s 2019 board confirmed.
– Thom Killingsworth, Kelowna Yacht Club
– Katie Balkwill, Big White Ski Resort – Kristi Caldwell, Caldwell Heritage Farms and Wiseacre Farm Distillery – Carla Carlson, Comfort Suites – Joseph Clohessy, Delta Grand hotel – Dana Crichton, Four Points by Sheraton Kelowna Airport
– Debbie Dupasquier, Bluestar Bus Charters
– Penny Gambell, Lake Country councillor
– Gail Given, Kelowna city councillor – Patricia Leslie, Gray Monk Winery – Stan Martindale, Ramada Hotel – Dan Matheson, Okanagan Golf Club – Nataley Nagy, Kelowna Art Gallery – Sam Samaddar, Kelowna International Airport
– Heather Schroeter, Manteo Resort – Dale Sivucha, Kelowna Hotel Motel Association
– Tanya Stroinig, Prestige Hotels & Resorts
– Cedric Young, Fairfield Inn & Suites
Two million at the airport
Speaking of record-breaking amounts of visitors, Kelowna International Airport expects to welcome its 2-millionth passenger Thursday.
The airport keeps such good track of everyone coming and going, it knows No. 2,000,000 will be arriving around 12:15 p.m.
The airport is planning a special greeting for the special passenger and media has email: steve.macnaull@ok.bc.ca been invited to cover the festivities.
The airport has been on a tear of record setting passenger counts over the past decade, thanks to Kelowna being a hub and new non-stop routes.
Last year’s passenger count was
1.9 million.
This two million marker also comes before the busiest two weeks of the year over Christmas and New Year’s.
Head south
‘Tis the season to flee winter. Kelowna International Airport has non-stop flights to five sunspots this winter.
The latest to take off is Sunwing Airlines, which kicked off its weekly flights between Kelowna and Cabo San Lucas on Saturday .
The flights will continue through April 20.
Sunwing also packages vacations so sunseekers can buy flights and all-inclusive resort stays for one price.
“We are delighted to be providing our customers in Kelowna with even more ways to vacation better this winter,” said Sunwing’s president of tour operations Andrew Dawson.
“Travellers will be able to enjoy two destinations in one in Los Cabos, with the lively nightlife of Cabo San Lucas and the vibrant art scene of San Jose.”
Sunwing is also the only airline flying from Kelowna to Varadero, Cuba weekly on Fridays.
Cancun is a popular destination with three airlines operating four flights a week to the Caribbean side of Mexico.
WestJet’s flights are Sundays and Wednesdays, Air Transat’s Saturdays and Sunwing’s Sundays.
WestJet and Air Transat fly to Puerto Vallarta, on Mexico’s Pacific coast, on Fridays and Sundays, respectively.
Phoenix gets twice weekly love from WestJet on Saturdays and Mondays.