There has been no shortage of good news across Kelowna's tourism industry in the first half of the year. Join us in celebrating recent award wins, notable achievements, and exciting news from the businesses and organizations helping shape our region's vibrant, thriving tourism community. 

Award Wins

^{Image credit: Darren Hull Studios}

2026 BC Restaurant Hall of Fame Inductees

Two members of the Okanagan's tourism industry will be inducted into the 2026 BC Restaurant Hall of Fame at this year's induction ceremony on October 26:

• Christina Ferreira, owner of Impact Events + Brand Management and Tourism Kelowna Board Member, will be honoured in the Friends of the Industry category. 
• Ned Bell, co-owner of Hatch Hospitality and creative advisor for the Centre for Food, Wine and Tourism at Okanagan College, is being recognized in the Local Champions category. 

Visit the BCRFA website for a complete list of this year's inductees and to purchase tickets to the induction ceremony (early bird pricing ends July 31). 

Decanter World Wine Awards

The Decanter World Wine Awards 2026 results were released in mid-June, with several Central Okanagan wineries taking home medals:

• CedarCreek Estate Winery: 1 Gold, 3 Silver, 1 Bronze
• Quails' Gate: 1 Gold, 2 Silver, 1 Bronze
• Mission Hill Family Estate:  2 Silver, 2 Bronze 
• O'Rourke Family Estate: 1 Silver

2026 BC’s Top 50 Wines

In early May, Wine Growers British Columbia and Okanagan Wine Festival Society announced BC's Top 50 Wines for 2026, which included several Central Okanagan wineries: 50th Parallel Estate Winery, Arrowleaf Cellars, Gray Monk, O'Rourke Family Estate, Peak Cellars, Sandhill Wines, and The View Winery. 

2026 Canadian Wine Industry Awards & 2026 BC Wine Industry Recognition Awards

Wine Growers Canada (WGC) and Wine Growers British Columbia (WGBC) announce the recipients of the 2026 Canadian Wine Industry Awards and BC Industry Recognition Awards in late March:

• The Stewart family, founders of Quails’ Gate Winery, was awarded the Canadian Wine Industry Award of Distinction, regarded as the highest form of peer recognition in the Canadian wine industry. The Award of Distinction recognizes an individual or family who has demonstrated outstanding leadership, long-standing commitment, and meaningful contributions to the advancement of Canadian wine.
• CedarCreek Estate Winery's Guest Experience Manager, Brynne Dickson, won the Ultimate BC Wine Ambassador Award, which celebrates a frontline winery professional who brings passion, knowledge, and authenticity to every guest interaction, creating memorable experiences while fostering a positive and engaged team environment. 
• Carla Bechard, who oversees marketing programs and partnerships for Tourism Kelowna, was one of three finalists in the Master Marketer category. 

^{Aerial of The View Winery. Image credit: Shawn Talbot Photography} 

Greater Westside Board of Trade Key Business Awards

• The Greater Westside Board of Trade Key Business Awards were handed out at the end of February, with The Cove Lakeside Resort winning the Tourism and Hospitality award.
• Tourism Kelowna vendor, Rad Jamz & Preserves, which also produces Rad Relish, was named Business of the Year and won the Environmentally Sustainable Business award, while Two Eagles Golf Course was awarded the Indigenous Business award and Music in the Park won in the Arts and Entertainment category.

2026 Heritage Awards

On February 18, the Central Okanagan Heritage Society handed out its 2026 Heritage Awards, and two Tourism Kelowna Members were recognized:

• Nixon Hospitality Group was awarded the Continued Conservation of a Non-residential Building award for Skinny Duke's Glorious Emporium.
• KF Centre for Excellence was awarded the Special Heritage Project award. 

Top 40 Under 40

The Kelowna Chamber recently celebrated its 2026 Top 40 Under 40 Honourees, including the Rotary Centre for the Arts' Theatre Programming Director, Andrew Stauffer, and Cabin 5 Founder, Stephanie Horman. View the complete list of this year's honourees on the Kelowna Chamber website. 
 

Best of Kelowna 2026

Nearly 40 Tourism Kelowna members won Gold in the Best of Kelowna 2026 awards, with others winning Silver and Bronze. Browse all the award categories to see the complete list of winners on KelownaNow's website.

Additional Wins & Notable Nominations

• Big White Ski Resort's Senior Vice President, and former Tourism Kelowna Board member, Michael J. Balligall, has been recognized in Business in Vancouver's BC500, an annual celebration of the 500 most influential business leaders in the province. 
• Earlier in the year, Big White was recognized in Tripadvisor’s Travellers’ Choice Awards for 2026, with consistently strong reviews over the previous 12 months, ranking among the top 10% of all listings.
• Tourism Kelowna was proud to present the Sport Hosting Excellence Award at this year's Community Sport Hero Awards to Kelowna BMX for its outstanding delivery of the 2025 BMX Firestorm Nationals.
• The City of Kelowna won a Southern Interior Local Government Association (SILGA) Community Excellence Award for Environmental Sustainability for DeHart Community Park.
• Tourism Kelowna was one of three finalists in the Professional Excellence DMO or Sector Association category at the 2026 BC Tourism Industry Awards, alongside Tourism Prince George and Tourism Terrace.
• The 2025 Montana's Brier, hosted in Kelowna, was one of three finalists in the Sport Tourism Canada (STC) Canadian Sport Event of the Year: Group A category for STC's 2026 PRESTIGE Awards.
• Kelowna, alongside six other cities across the country, was nominated for Music City of the Year at the 2026 Live Music Awards, an exciting recognition of the city’s growing reputation on the national stage.

Notable News

^{Image credit: City of Kelowna}

Community

• Kelowna ranked #2 in Canada in the 2026 Arts Vibrancy Index, a first-of-its-kind indicator recognizing communities where arts and culture are helping drive economic growth, community well-being, and civic connection.
• Along with the recent unveiling of Kelowna’s Signature Sign, designed as a welcoming gathering place for locals and visitors, the City of Kelowna has marked a number of milestones over the past months—find all the details here.
• Kelowna International Airport (YLW) opened its new departures lounge and security screening checkpoint on January 28, marking a major milestone in Phase 1 of the Airport Terminal Building Expansion project.
• Porter Airlines launched its new, non-stop service between Kelowna and Ottawa, marking a valuable new connection between Canada’s capital and the Okanagan Valley. This route complements Porter's existing Toronto Pearson flights, strengthening year-round access to Kelowna and supporting continued growth in visitation, business travel, and tourism opportunities across our region.
• Pacific Coastal Airlines has added a second daily flight between Comox Valley Airport and YLW for the peak summer travel period. The enhanced service, which kicked off July 1, will operate six days a week, Sunday to Friday, through until September 5, 2026.
• Rotary Centre for the Arts recently unveiled its new community mural, created by lead artist Gail Hodgson and facilitator Rain Doody.
• Denim on the Diamond, the Okanagan’s premier multi-genre music festival, is returning to City Park from September 11–13, 2026

Industry

• In late June, Kelowna City Council approved Tourism Kelowna's new five-year Service Agreement and supported the renewal of the Municipal and Regional District Tax (MRDT) program for another five-year term, subject to final provincial approval.
• At the end of April, following a comprehensive national search that attracted more than 50 applicants, the Board of Directors of Tourism Kelowna announced the appointment of Cassandra Zerebeski as its President & CEO. 
• Tourism Kelowna announced its 2026/27 Board of Directors and released its 2025 Report to the Community at its AGM in early May. 
• A ground-breaking ceremony for Hyatt House, which will be situated along Hwy 97 north of Scandia, was held in late March. 
• LaQuinta by Wyndham celebrated its grand opening at the end of May.
• In mid-May, Lakeside Eco-Sports officially expanded its operations to McCulloch Lake Resort, offering guests access to a curated selection of outdoor activities.
• Kelowna Concierge recently rebranded as Signature Connections, reflecting the company's transition from a concierge-style service to a full-service transportation and experience coordination provider. 
• At the beginning of the year, Creative Okanagan appointed Tascheleia Marangoni as its new Executive Director; Marangoni was elected to Tourism Kelowna's Board of Directors for the 2026/27 term. 
• Ben Vos, owner of Myra Canyon Bicycle Rentals, recently donated 20 new bicycles to Pathways Abilities Society’s BikeWays program.

^{Hotel Eldorado at Eldorado Resort. Image credit: Nic Collar Film}

Anniversaries

• This year marks the Kelowna Chamber's 120th anniversary, which it celebrated in mid-June at a ceremony at the Laurel Packinghouse. Learn more about the Chamber's history on its website. 
• In 1926, Countess Bubna opened her Victoria-style inn, Eldorado Arms, on the shores of Okanagan Lake. This year, the historic property, now known as Hotel Eldorado at Eldorado Resort, celebrates 100 years of memories, marking the historic milestone with a full weekend of events. Learn more about the property's rich heritage in BC Business’ recent feature.
• This year, Chef Rod Butters and Audrey Surrao of RauDZ Creative Concepts celebrate 25 years in business, having launched their first Kelowna restaurant, Fresco, in June 2001.
• In late June, The View Winery and Wards Cider celebrated its 20th anniversary, having launched in 2006 on land that has been in the family for 5 generations.
• Volcanic Hills Estate Winery celebrated its 16th anniversary with an in-person event on May 10. 
• On June 1, BNA Brewing Co. marked the 11th anniversary of its flagship location in downtown Kelowna, having opened two more locations in Vernon and Penticton in 2025.
• Karat Chocolate + Pastry Boutique recently celebrated 10 years of creativity, innovation, and impact in the Okanagan's culinary landscape.
• On June 28, Tourism Kelowna celebrated the 8th anniversary of its downtown Kelowna Visitor Centre, launched alongside Okanagan Lake in the heart of the city to welcome visitors and connect them with the best of the Okanagan.

Food & Drink

• Since being designated as Canada's first and only UNESCO City of Gastronomy, Kelowna has been featured in several notable publications:
  • Eater, one of the world’s most influential voices in food and dining, named Kelowna among its top 15 food destinations to visit in 2026 as part of its "Where to Eat in 2026" guide.
  • National Geographic featured Kelowna in its article titled "15 of the best places in the world for food right now." Our team worked with local writer, Lisa Kadane, in support of the article, which also appeared in syndication on Yahoo! Travel and AOL, for a reach of 36 million.
  • The New York Post highlighted Kelowna's designation in the article, "This hidden Canadian valley scored a nod from UNESCO for its world-class wines — here’s how to experience it," written by Todd Plumer. Tourism Kelowna, alongside local partners, supported Destination BC and the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association on this earned media pitch.
• In early June, Hyatt Place Kelowna launched its new rooftop bar, The Olive Way Social.
• BTS Cocktail Bar & Kitchen recently announced the hiring of Chef Rory Kennedy, who brings more than 17 years of experience in professional kitchens to BTS. Under Chef Kennedy's direction, BTS launched a brand new food menu in mid-June. 
• This spring, in West Kelowna, Rollingdale Winery celebrated the grand opening of its new tasting room while the team at the hatch launched its new hatchtown! experience. 
• The Terrace Restaurant's Executive Chef Patrick Gayler and Chef de Cuisine Heather Brumwell have expanded the restaurant's onsite botanical program to more than 40 edible varieties—such as chamomile, wild rose, lemon verbena, and a wide range of culinary herbs—complemented by working beehives and seasonal orchard fruit. 
• The Central Okanagan has had new wineries open this year, including Ailm Estate, Azhadi Vineyards, and O'Rourke Family Estate. 
  • In late May, O’Rourke introduced Quinton Bennett as the new Culinary Director across its Okanagan establishments, Row 188 at O’Rourke Family Estate and Peak Cellars Garden Bistro. 

New Businesses and Locations

Industry News Beyond Kelowna

• The Tourism Industry Association of BC (TIABC) celebrates 50 years of service this year as the voice of BC's tourism industry.
• The BC Hospitality Foundation will celebrate its 20th anniversary with an in-person event in Vancouver on July 22. 
• Several notable, long-standing members of our provincial and national tourism sectors have retired in 2026, including Marsha Walden (Destination Canada), Walt Judas (TIABC), Kathleen Harvey (DBC), and Mika Ryan (DBC).
  • Amber Papou is the new President & CEO of TIABC, while Meaghan Ferrigno has been appointed Interim President and CEO of Destination Canada, effective July 1, 2026.
• The Thompson Okanagan Tourism Inspiration Centre, owned and operated by TOTA, recently reopened after undergoing a major renovation.
• The Culinary Tourism Alliance recently announced that Canada’s National Culinary and Agritourism Action Plan has been recognized as a global case study in Good Practices in the Development of Gastronomy Tourism, a new report released by UN Tourism and the Basque Culinary Center.

Join us in congratulating all the award winners and recognizing all those who are achieving great things and delivering exceptional experiences to visitors and locals alike!

Have an award win, achievement, or notable news to share? Email us all the details so we can include the information in our next roundup.