The #exploreKelowna Local Savings Pass closed this past Monday, May 31. The pass—which launched in early February to connect locals with offers at local businesses—was the first in a series of experience passports that we will be launching throughout the year. As COVID-19 restrictions continued in place at the beginning of the year, it was important for our organization not only to find ways to support our residents but to also drive direct traffic to our local businesses.
The #exploreKelowna Local Savings Pass was completely free for Tourism Kelowna stakeholders to participate and for residents to use. Locals could easily sign up online to access the discounts in a simple, mobile-friendly way. Close to 90 local businesses, including hotels, local retailers, attractions, wineries and wine tour companies, spas, restaurants, and more, participated by contributing a variety of offers and discounts.
Over 2,300 residents signed up for the pass and redeemed offers over 300 times at different locations. This represents an estimated direct economic benefit of $25,000 for our local business community.
The passport program aims to appeal to different visitor types and locals by developing creative experiences, all accessible through the convenience of their mobile phones. Throughout the year we will be launching different mobile passports and itineraries designed to drive traffic directly to our stakeholders in a trackable and measurable way, as well as creating new and engaging experiences for visitors and residents. The #exploreKelowna Wine Trails Passport was launched in early May, and we are currently working on a new self-guided tour of the Rutland murals that is expected to launch in August.
If you would like to participate in the experience passports or would like further information, you can reach me at sara@tourismkelowna.com.
