Tourism Kelowna’s destination development journey started in 2019 and culminated with the release of the Tourism Destination Development Plan (TDDP) at the end of 2022. This mid-year update summarizes the destination development activities and projects Tourism Kelowna has undertaken this year, as well as those set to be completed before the year is through.
Destination Development Pillars
Three strategic pillars were established through the development of the TDDP:
- Transition Together: Facilitate the evolution of Kelowna in a way that incorporates and benefits all stakeholders.
- Raise Resilience: Protect and improve elements that will allow Kelowna to thrive even in the face of challenges.
- Enhance Experiences: Pursue place-making as an opportunity to improve the visitor experience and the quality of life for both visitors and residents.
Aligned with each of these pillars are strategic goals that further guide the work Tourism Kelowna and its partners seek to accomplish. It is important to note that destination development cannot be accomplished solely by Tourism Kelowna. With each strategic priority, Tourism Kelowna will take a lead, partner, or advocate role to responsibly manage growth in a way that supports and benefits the community at large.
2024 Priorities
Early in the year, the TDDP focus group members who contributed to the plan's creation were invited to an in-person session to review 2023 activities and the projected activities in 2024. After examining this feedback and recommendations from the session, the following strategic priorities, as aligned with the pillars, were selected as the focus for the remainder of 2024:
- Transition Together
- Formalize Stakeholder Engagement
- Increase Visitor and Resident Education
- Raise Resilience
- Improve Connectivity and Transportation
- Protect the Environment
- Enhance Experiences
- Develop and Activate more Public Spaces
2024 Activities and Projects
Transition Together
Downtown After 5, held at the Kelowna Visitor Centre in June 2024
So far this year, our team has hosted the following events to formalize stakeholder engagement:
- Tourist Oriented Destination Signage Webinar to provide members with additional information about the City of Kelowna and Provincial Highway signage programs.
- TDDP Focus Group Workshop to establish a timeline for executing the TDDP strategic priorities in 2024 and beyond.
- Tourism Industry Forum education sessions for industry members.
- Downtown Kelowna After 5 to welcome those outside the tourism industry into the Kelowna Visitor Centre and to raise excitement for two upcoming major events: 2025 Montana's Brier and CCMA Country Music Week 2025.
During National Tourism Week, we hosted a value-of-tourism activation at the Kelowna Visitor Centre. We also finalized the addition of Indigenous display panels at the centre, designed in collaboration with Westbank First Nation (WFN). To support several of the strategic priorities, we held regular meetings with WFN, the City of Kelowna, the Downtown Kelowna Association, and the Central Okanagan Economic Development Commission.
Raise Resilience
Earlier this year, our organization received Platinum Recertification through GreenStep's Sustainable Tourism program. This program provides assessments, programs, and certifications to help tourism destinations and businesses measure and improve their sustainability performance. We are also compiling and submitting evidence to the Biosphere Commitment program, intending to become a Biosphere Certified Organization before the end of the year.
Though our organization is not the lead in improving connectivity and transportation within the region, we have continued to advocate for additional transportation routes and frequency, including active and public transportation, through City of Kelowna channels and stakeholder meetings.
Additional activities within this strategic pillar include implementing tactics from our stewardship framework, which supports our organization's work in sustainability, DEIA, and more, and improving accessibility at the Kelowna Visitor Centre.
Enhance Experiences
After a successful pilot program in 2022, our Community & Visitor Engagement (CVE) team kicked off the third year of providing visitor services operations—running from June to September—to the District of Lake Country. The CVE mobile visitor services team also engaged residents and visitors at events and festivals in the region throughout the spring and summer. This included activating spaces by setting up the Kelowna public art display at various public-facing events. When not in use for events, the art display was set up at the Kelowna Visitor Centre. A parklet activation was also set up as part of Meet Me on Bernard.
We provided feedback to the City of Kelowna in relation to the following infrastructure engagement projects:
- Parkinson Recreation Centre
- Tolko Site
- North End/Brewery District
- Performing Arts Centre
- Queensway Project
- Traffic and Road Safety
We also attended a crime workshop hosted by the Kelowna Chamber and a Wildfire Resiliency Symposium hosted by UBC Okanagan.
Looking ahead, we have started preparing for activations while Kelowna hosts the 2025 Montana's Brier and Country Music Week 2025.
Projects to be completed in 2024
- Develop a 2025 responsible tourism education plan for residents and visitors.
- Establish an inventory of existing winter experiences for promotion.
- Complete the Mitacs/UBC Regenerative Tourism Research Project (Fall 2024).
- Finalize a Sustainable Meeting & Events Guide (Fall 2024).
- Replace Tourism Kelowna's Airport Information Kiosk.
- Achieve recertification through the Rainbow Registered program.
- Complete an audit of Tourism Kelowna's carbon footprint.
- Create a Major Event Activation Toolkit.
- Launch the Kelowna Visitor Centre Bicycle Repair Station
To learn more about this year's activities or the Tourism Destination Development Plan, please contact me at chris@tourismkelowna.com or 250-861-1515 ext. 207.
Click here for a recap of 2023's destination development activities.
