At the beginning of October, Tourism Kelowna conducted its second general resident sentiment survey, a benchmarking measure that the organization is committed to undertaking yearly. This annual survey measures our residents' year-over-year perceptions of the tourism industry in general and the impact it has on their quality of life, differentiating it from the previous two resident surveys we completed this year related to COVID-19.

The survey indicates that almost 95% of decided Kelowna and Central Okanagan residents consider tourism to be a vitally important industry and over three-quarters of decided residents recognize the value that Tourism Kelowna offers as an organization and the impact it has on them. Eight of the nine questions posed in the survey had very similar results to last year, with a maximum variance of 3.5%. The largest shift in sentiment was seen in a question regarding the type of visitor that Kelowna is currently attracting, which saw a 16-point drop from last year, from 74.1% to 57.8%. We believe this change can be attributed to views on welcoming visitors during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Other results of interest are:

  • 60% of decided residents believe tourism in Kelowna is a contributing factor to a general increase in their quality of life.
  • 87% find that sustainable and responsible tourism development is important.
  • 84% indicated that the tourism industry provides good employment opportunities.
  • 78% believe that money spent to attract tourism to Kelowna is a good investment.
  • 64% felt that Kelowna has sufficient attractions and infrastructure to be a desirable tourism destination in the future.

The positive sentiment of our residents towards the industry is a very important component in the long term recovery of Kelowna's visitor economy. They are, together with our stakeholders and visitors, a key audience for Tourism Kelowna, and their feedback and opinions are essential in guiding the organization as we move forward. 

For any questions regarding the annual Resident Sentiment Survey, please contact Lisanne Ballantyne, President & CEO of Tourism Kelowna, at lisanne@tourismkelowna.com.