Kelowna UNESCO Creative Cities Program

Kelowna is Canada’s first city designated a UNESCO City of Gastronomy through the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN). This designation recognizes the strength of the region’s food system and supports ongoing collaboration across agriculture, culinary innovation, education, and community partners.

Partner Logo UNESCO City of Gastronomy Kelowna

For Kelowna, the designation is not only about tourism. It represents an opportunity to strengthen partnerships between farmers, chefs, producers, educators, and industry leaders while connecting our community to a global network of cities using creativity to support sustainable development.

Kelowna’s application in 2025 was a collaborative effort led by the City of Kelowna, Westbank First Nation, Tourism Kelowna, and Okanagan College, with input from growers, producers, restaurateurs, business owners, non-profit organizations, and technology companies throughout the region.

Explore Kelowna’s UNESCO City of Gastronomy experience

About the UNESCO Creative Cities Network

The UNESCO Creative Cities Network was established in 2004 to recognize cities that place creativity and culture at the centre of sustainable development.

Today, more than 400 cities worldwide participate in the network across seven creative fields:

Craft & Folk Art
Design
Film
Gastronomy
Literature
Media Arts
Music

Kelowna joins other North American Cities of Gastronomy such as San Antonio (Texas, USA) and Mérida (Mexico), participating in a global network focused on collaboration, knowledge sharing, and cultural exchange.

Gastronomy in Kelowna

Food, agriculture, wine, and hospitality play an important role in Kelowna’s economy and identity.

Kelowna welcomes over 2 million visitors annually, generating $1.17 billion in tourism revenue
The city is home to more than 500 restaurants, contributing $394 million annually
Local agriculture occupies over half of Kelowna’s land base, contributing $3.6 billion to the economy and supporting nearly 5,000 jobs

This interconnected ecosystem of farms, wineries, restaurants, culinary education, and tourism experiences helped position Kelowna as Canada’s first UNESCO City of Gastronomy.

What the Designation Means for Our Community

Becoming a UNESCO City of Gastronomy is both a recognition and a commitment. It highlights the strength of Kelowna’s agricultural heritage and culinary innovation while creating opportunities to:

Strengthen partnerships between agriculture, tourism, and hospitality
Support local food producers and culinary entrepreneurs
Promote syilx / Okanagan food knowledge and Indigenous culinary traditions
Foster collaboration with other UNESCO Creative Cities
Support sustainable food systems and community initiatives

Together, these efforts help strengthen Kelowna’s food culture while supporting long-term economic and community development.

Kelowna City of Gastronomy Advisory Group

	Peter Aardema	Jealous Fruits
	Dilraj Bal	Hillcrest Cherries
	Bram Bolwijn	Iconic Wineries of British Columbia
	Dr. Lesley Cormack	University of British Columbia Okanagan
Co-Chair	Tom Dyas	Mayor, City of Kelowna
Co-Chair	Dr. Neil Fassina	President, Okanagan College
	Avi Gill	Farming Karma Fruit Company Ltd
	Kai Koroll	Okanagan Chefs Association
	Brea Lake	Accelerate Okanagan
	Jordan Coble	Westbank First Nation
	Rod Butters	The Okanagan Table & Sunny’s Modern Diner
	Jeremy Luypen	Kelowna Gospel Mission
	Michael Magliocchi	Canyon Falls Middle School
	Jenny Matechuk	Helen's Acres Community Farm
	Jennay Oliver	Paynter's Fruit Market
	Audrey Surrao	The Okanagan Table & Sunny’s Modern Diner
	Ellen Walker-Matthews	Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association
	Bill Wang	Westbank First Nation Economic Development Commission
	Loyal Wooldridge	City of Kelowna
	Derek Edstrom	City of Kelowna

Central Coordination Team

	Elaine Booi	Okanagan College (Admin Support)
	Lisa Corcoran	City of Kelowna
Chair / UNESCO Focal Point	Jenn Goodwin	Okanagan College
	Chris Shauf	Tourism Kelowna

Stay Updated

Tourism Kelowna and community partners will continue to share updates about initiatives, collaborations, and opportunities connected to the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.

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Get Involved

Kelowna’s UNESCO City of Gastronomy designation is a collaborative initiative. Bringing this program to life will rely on a strong network of advisors, champions, and volunteers from across the community.

If you’re interested in getting involved, please submit a short response (100–250 words) addressing the following:

Tell us a little about yourself and your background.
Why are you interested in participating in Kelowna’s City of Gastronomy initiative or work group?
What resources or connections could you contribute?

You can submit your responses by emailing chris.shauf@tourismkelowna.com.

Thank you for your interest. Submissions are reviewed monthly, and will be followed up on shortly after.