The first full month of operations at the new Kelowna Visitor Centre is complete and it was an impressive and successful opening.
We opened on Thursday, June 28, to ensure we could help as many visitors as possible over the busy Canada Day Long Weekend. We continue to see strong and steady traffic during our expanded hours, which allow us to serve the community and connect visitors with experiences to enjoy.
By the numbers
- 766 - daily average visitor count (the average in July 2017 was 106)
- 1,284 - busiest day in July
- +$20,000 - retail sales in July (an 800% increase in July 2018 over July 2017!)
To put it in perspective, the new Kelowna Visitor Centre has seen about as many people in our first month of operations as the former location saw in an entire year.
Ongoing work and improvements
- The landscaping around the building, handled through a parallel project led by the City of Kelowna, continues into August.
- Final touches inside the building are being completed, including additional cabinets, storage, and shelving.
More to look forward to
- New retail items are coming (and popular sellers will be restocked).
- An online retail sales platform will be introduced.
- New displays and storyboards in partnership with Kelowna Museums.
Mark your calendar
The Tourism Kelowna Visitor Experience team worked closely with and shared a building with the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce team for many years, and we've missed seeing them each day since moving to our new location. So, we're especially excited to host them - and the business community - for the next Kelowna Chamber of Commerce ConneX event to be held at the new Kelowna Visitor Centre on Thursday, August 16. Find out more and register for the event here. We hope to see you there!
