This fall, Tourism Kelowna's Business Development team welcomed seven meeting and event professionals from across Canada and the US for a familiarization (FAM) tour of Kelowna, allowing them to experience the region firsthand and better understand what the destination can offer for their business event programs.

From our home base at the Delta Hotels by Marriott Grand Okanagan Resort, we spent several days exploring the city and its surrounding communities, visiting hotels and event venues, and getting to know the local businesses and people who make events here so special. Highlights included breakfast at the Kelowna Yacht Club, site visits to Coast Capri Hotel, Hyatt Place Kelowna, Eldorado Resort, and Four Points by Sheraton, and a special reception at Crown & Thieves.
 

^{FAM tour participants on the rooftop at Eldorado Resort. Photo contributed by FAM tour guest, Mona.} 

As Canada's first and only UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, Kelowna's food and drink scene is something we are especially proud to share. To that end, we included lunch at Gray Monk Estate Winery's Lookout Restaurant, a visit to 50th Parallel Estate Winery, and an evening at Quails' Gate, where we dined at its Old Vines Restaurant, in the itinerary. Rounding out the experience was dinner at HUMO, giving our FAM guests another taste of the creativity and talent within Kelowna's culinary community.

We also stopped by the Tourism Kelowna Visitor Centre, where guests could browse locally made Okanagan products and pick up a few things to take home. A special thank you to Cheers Okanagan Tours & Transportation, which handled transportation throughout the FAM and helped everything run seamlessly.
 

^{Posing in front of the Kelowna sign in Stuart Park. Contributed by FAM tour guest, Melissa M.}

FAM tours are a valuable investment in attracting meetings, conferences, and business events to our destination, helping to build and strengthen relationships between planners and our destination partners. The return on investment from these tours and site visits extends beyond immediate business opportunities, generating valuable leads, increasing delegate spending, supporting local businesses, and creating potential for repeat events. 

We're grateful to the planners and clients who joined us in Kelowna, and we thank all the local partners who welcomed us and shared what groups can experience when they meet in Kelowna.  

If you'd like to learn more about joining a future familiarization tour, please contact our team at meetings@tourismkelowna.com.