Tourism Kelowna is participating in six collaborative initiatives for the 2023/24 intake of the Destination BC (DBC) Co-operative Marketing Partnership Program (Co-op Program). Below is a round-up of activities that have taken place in 2023 as part of these initiatives.
Travelling Out in the Thompson Okanagan (TOTO)
Partnering with Tourism Kamloops, Tourism Vernon, Visit Penticton, and Destination Osoyoos, we are collaboratively working to showcase our region as a safe and welcoming destination for 2SLGBTQIA+ travellers. As a new program, Travelling Out in the Okanagan, abbreviated as TOTO, required the creation of a brand, website, and social media channels. Photo and video shoots were hosted to gather content that would resonate with the community and its allies. We are excited to see this program evolve and grow in the years to come.
BC Ale Trail
In support of the Central Okanagan's growing craft brewing scene, Tourism Kelowna continues to participate in the BC Ale Trail as a Destination Marketing Organization so more robust marketing activities can take place to highlight our region on a provincial level. In 2023, we participated in the Kelowna & West Kelowna Brewery Tasting Passport. We worked with the BC Ale Trail to bring in influencers to gather content to create a dedicated Road Trip Journal. Our trail was used in targeted marketing campaigns, and area accommodators could participate in the fall Sip & Stay promotion.
BC Bird Trail
2023 was the first year Tourism Kelowna has participated in the BC Bird Trail to highlight the birding opportunities in the Central Okanagan. For the first year, a Kelowna-specific webpage and itinerary were created and marketed to key audiences in the fall; this targeted marketing will happen again in the spring. In addition, several news articles announcing Kelowna as a birding location were published. In 2024, we'll partner with Vernon and Osoyoos to create a regional bird trail, furthering our reach and impact in this market.
PaddleBC
Another program we joined in 2023 is PaddleBC. Recognizing that Kelowna has fantastic paddling opportunities, Kelowna was added to the website and included in several blogs and media relations efforts during the year.
Mountain Bike BC - Okanagan Single Track
Tourism Kelowna has worked with the Mountain Bike Tourism Association of BC for many years to promote the "Okanagan Single Track," which includes Kelowna, Osoyoos, Penticton, and Vernon, as the perfect mountain bike destination. Our community is also showcased individually through the program. Each year, the focus is on content creation and working with influencers to spread the word about our area, in addition to targeted digital and traditional advertising.
Golf in British Columbia
Working with the Golf Kelowna group, Tourism Kelowna is the liaison to ensure our golf courses are represented at a provincial level via their website, social media, and media relations initiatives. Through this program, targeted advertising has hit key demographics, promoting travel to Kelowna for golf. In addition, all courses have been captured via drone photos and video, so we have the best available content to use when marketing our courses.
Have questions about Destination BC Coop Programs or the above sectors that Tourism Kelowna is involved in? Email me at carla@tourismkelowna.com.
