Tourism Kelowna continued its collaborative marketing in 2025/26, partnering with Destination BC, regional partners, and sector organizations to put Kelowna in front of the right travellers at the right time.

Through the Destination BC Co-operative Marketing Partnerships Program (Co-op Program), our organization participated in 7 programs during the past fiscal year (April 1, 2025–March 31, 2026). Here's a closer look at what those partnerships delivered.

Central Okanagan Arts & Culture

Tourism Kelowna joined forces with the District of Lake Country and Visit Westside (City of West Kelowna) to launch a two-year arts and culture campaign that's shown impressive results in its first year.

At the heart of the campaign is a dedicated Arts & Culture Guide landing page, which serves as the campaign's call to action and has so far attracted over 20,000 page views through a multi-channel advertising strategy. Tactics in the campaign included paid social media advertising, sponsored articles in Western Living and Vancouver is Awesome, email marketing, and display advertising, which together generated more than 1.8 million impressions.

In addition, each community had a dedicated photo and video shoot to authentically capture the arts and culture scene across the Okanagan Valley. The result? Each community received its own video and over 100 photos, plus a collaborative three-community showcase video was created. These assets will fuel the sector's promotion for years to come.

Travelling Out in the Thompson Okanagan (TOTO)

Now in its stride after several years of growth, Travelling Out in the Thompson Okanagan (TOTO) remains one of the region's most meaningful marketing initiatives. With a focus on the 2SLGBTQIA+ travel market, the program doubled down on what's working: growing its social media presence, refreshing key website features, and executing year-round campaigns in partnership with Pink Triangle Press.

Through sponsored articles, digital display ads, email newsletters, and social media advertising, TOTO delivered a compelling, season-spanning message about why the Thompson Okanagan is a welcoming destination and what visitors can look forward to upon arrival. The campaign surpassed 350,000 in reach, meeting the audience where they are and continuing to build connections with travellers who want to feel seen and celebrated at their destination.
 

Sector Campaigns

BC Ale Trail

For craft beer lovers, the BC Ale Trail is the ultimate trip-planning tool, and Tourism Kelowna's ongoing support ensures the Kelowna & West Kelowna Ale Trail remain prominently featured. Local breweries received consistent exposure through 7 blog articles, a dedicated Kelowna & West Kelowna landing page, and active promotion through the BC Ale Trail app.

The numbers speak to real traveller engagement: 3,400 check-ins across 18 locations. That's thousands of moments where a visitor discovered, visited, and digitally stamped a local brewery, turning craft beer culture into a tangible tourism driver for the region.
 

Mountain Biking BC

For riders chasing singletrack, the Okanagan is becoming a destination worth putting on the map, and Tourism Kelowna is helping to get it there. Through a collaborative partnership with Mountain Biking BC, Destination Osoyoos, Visit Penticton, and Tourism Vernon, the region's trails are promoted together under the banner of Okanagan Singletrack, presenting a unified and compelling case for the region as a world-class mountain biking destination.

Through targeted ad campaigns in April and August 2025, potential visitors were encouraged to plan their trips to the region now. Together, the campaigns generated over 1.2 million impressions. Equally important in 2025/26 was engaging niche writers and photographers who speak the language of the sport to bring authenticity to blogs and social media content, moving riders through the funnel from inspiration to itinerary.
 

BC Bird Trail

Birdwatching tourism is a growing market, and Tourism Kelowna's partnership with the BC Bird Trail ensures Kelowna is prominently positioned to connect with potential travellers in that audience.

The Kelowna Bird Trail features 39 stops across a three-day itinerary and sits within the broader Thompson Okanagan region page. The Kelowna trail page received over 1,400 organic views, and the Thompson Okanagan page, which featured it, received 9,000 views. On social media, Thompson Okanagan regional content reached over 409,000 views and generated more than 117,000 engagements, while dedicated Kelowna content added another 50,000 views and nearly 500 link clicks to the Kelowna Bird Trail.
 

Co-operative marketing programs allow Tourism Kelowna to extend its reach into niche and regional audiences that would be difficult and costly to access independently. Participating in these partnerships isn't just good value; it's how Kelowna stays visible, relevant, and competitive in an increasingly crowded destination landscape.

If you have questions about Tourism Kelowna's participation in DBC's Co-Op Program, email me at carla@tourismkelowna.com.