Why Local Creators Work
The premise of the #exploreKelowna Creator Program has always been straightforward: nobody tells Kelowna's story better than the locals who live here. They're hiking the trails before breakfast, sitting on the patios after work, and discovering the hidden gems that don't always make it into travel guides.
That insider perspective is what makes the content resonate with our followers. Audiences can feel the difference between a produced video and a recommendation from someone who knows the destination, and that authenticity is increasingly hard to convey in a digital landscape where attention is everything.
For our industry partners, that trust translates directly into consideration. When a creator with a real connection to the Okanagan shares a winery visit, a hike, or a local business, it reaches an audience that is already interested in listening.
2026 Program Updates
One thing that became clear over the past two years is that relationships with creators are built over time, with both the destination organization and the audiences. In previous years, we'd welcome a fresh cohort of 5 creators at the start of each new year. While bringing in new perspectives matters, we also wanted to continue deepening the relationships we'd already built. So, we've revamped the program in 2026 to welcome back returning creators alongside new voices.
We've also introduced a quarterly content opportunity model. At the end of each quarter, creators receive a set of opportunities built around Tourism Kelowna's marketing priorities for the upcoming season. Creators choose the opportunity that best fits their niche, audience, and interests, then submit a short pitch with their ideas, and we build the concept together from there. We've also moved our creator community communications to Discord, giving them a dedicated space to connect with one another, ask questions, share events, and stay plugged into what's happening across the destination.
I'm proud to say we've welcomed 9 creators to the program this year, nearly double the number from previous years. As the program grows, the goal is to continue bringing on more creators throughout the year. We deliberately focus on nano and micro creators (under 20,000 followers), and what I've seen is that creators who join us often come in with as few as 1,500 followers and double or even triple their audience through the work we do together. That growth is something that I am proud of.
