As we welcome the new year, let's take a moment to shine a spotlight on some of the achievements and notable news from 2024, reminding us that among the challenges our industry faces, there's also plenty to celebrate.
SpearHead Winery; 2024 WineAlign Winery of the Year and Best Performing Small Winery. Photo credit: Shawn Talbot Photography
Supporting Community Growth
Tourism Kelowna's most recent economic impact study was released in early 2024, showing that tourism remains a resilient industry and key economic contributor in the Central Okanagan, having grown to a $2.4 billion dollar industry for our community.
Shining a Spotlight on Tourism Excellence
Throughout the year, numerous Kelowna and area tourism industry businesses have earned well-deserved recognition on the local, provincial, and national stage, helping to shine a spotlight on our destination.
From award-winning wineries and hotels to outstanding local guides and experiences, area businesses have not only set new standards of excellence but also showcased the best of the Okanagan to the world.
Investing for the Future
In June, staff and students from Okanagan College's Culinary and Tourism programs were joined by government officials and community partners to celebrate the kick-off to the construction of the new Centre for Food, Wine and Tourism.
The modern centre is expected to open in 2026, expanding culinary enrolment, helping address growing labour shortages, and supporting homegrown talent.
Welcoming the World
In addition to welcoming new international routes to its schedule, Kelowna International Airport (YLW) and Nanaimo Airport (YCD) won the Best in Airport Partnerships Award at the Airports Council International - North America 2024 Excellence in Airport Marketing, Communications, and Customer Experience Awards. The award was in recognition of 'The Perfect Pairing' campaign, which saw YLW and YCD collaborate with Pacific Coastal Airlines, Tourism Kelowna, Tourism Cowichan, and Wine Growers BC to promote regional travel.
YLW is also on track to exceed 2 million passengers in 2024, and may even exceed previous benchmarks by the year's end.
Downtown Kelowna. Photo credit: Ken Hagen
Celebrating Organizational Excellence
Tourism Kelowna received a Silver Dolphin award at this year’s Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards in the ‘Tourism Films Destinations – Cities’ category for its “Explore More of Kelowna in All Seasons" video.
Our organization was also named as a finalist in the Community Contribution & Impact award category for the 2024 BC Tourism Industry Awards, and in the Master Marketer category for the Wine Growers of BC Industry Recognition Awards.
Collaborating for Success
The collaborative OKGo marketing campaign—a joint initiative launched by the Central Okanagan Economic Development Commission, Accelerate Okanagan, and Tourism Kelowna—was honoured with an Economic Developers Association of Canada 2024 Marketing Award in the Community Collaboration category.
This award category, newly created this year, recognizes projects that improve services, create new processes, and deliver measurable results through teamwork.
Photo credit: Ken Hagen.
Showcasing Kelowna as a Must-Visit Business Events Destination
For the first time, Tourism Kelowna joined Destination Canada's (DC) contingent at IMEX America, one of the world's largest and most prestigious gatherings of event professionals. This was just one of many regional, national, and international events our team attended to showcase our region's offerings for business event planners.
Our region was also promoted through a couple of DC's recent publications. Kelowna's Metro Centre is featured in DC's Sustainability Storybook, which shares the many sustainability initiatives available for business events across Canada. Our destination is also featured as one of Canada's thriving agribusiness hubs in DC's refreshed Agribusiness - Business Events brochure.
Securing and Welcoming Major Events
Thanks in part to Tourism Kelowna's Major Event Strategy, our region's reputation as a premier destination for event hosting continues to grow, generating increased visitation, significant economic impact, and positive community spirit.
This year, Kelowna hosted the first game in the Canadian Premier League "On Tour" series and was chosen to host the 106th edition of the Memorial Cup in the spring of 2026.
2025 will also be an exciting year, as two of Canada's most prominent events—Montana's Brier taking place in February/March 2025 and Country Music Week in September 2025—will be hosted in Kelowna. Country Music Week 2025 is forecast to result in an estimated economic impact of over $11 million in Kelowna and BC.
Dilworth Mountain Park. Photo credit: Ken Hagen
Prioritizing Sustainability
Building on our organization's ongoing commitment to sustainable, responsible tourism and destination development, Tourism Kelowna hosted its inaugural Stewardship Symposium in late September.
During the half-day symposium, UBC Okanagan graduate student, Gabrielle Heschuk, showcased her research project, conducted in collaboration with Tourism Kelowna. Gabrielle was subsequently honoured at the Air Canada Future Leaders Luncheon, which took place at the Tourism Industry Association of Canada's Tourism Congress, for her research and contributions to the tourism industry.
Celebrating Triumphs
As we say goodbye to 2024, we reflect on the resilience, creativity, and unwavering commitment of our region's tourism businesses, whose teams continue to deliver remarkable experiences for visitors and locals. Your efforts continue to strengthen the bonds that make the Central Okanagan a truly exceptional destination.
While it's impossible to list them all here, we want to recognize all the accomplishments and milestones we've achieved together this year. We’re excited to continue collaborating with you to seize new opportunities, overcome challenges that may arise, and further grow our vibrant tourism industry. Here's to a bright and prosperous year ahead!
