To further showcase the importance of our local tourism industry, we are connecting with our stakeholders, industry partners, and other local businesses and organizations to find out more about what tourism means to them. For this edition, we connected with a few of the organizations involved in Kelowna Culture Days, a month-long arts and culture celebration that kicked off last week and runs until October 24. 


Rotary Centre for the Arts (RCA), Kelowna Culture Days Hub

Contributed by Community Engagement & Events Coordinator, Elana Bizovie

Okanagan Mexican Folklore Dance Group performing at the Rotary Centre for the Arts during Culture Days 2018
Okanagan Mexican Folklore Dance Group performing at the Rotary Centre for the Arts during Culture Days 2018

Q: How does tourism positively impact our local arts and culture community?
A: Arts and culture informs the local landscape and vice versa. Visitors to our community engage in art and culture in ways they may not even realize - eating at culturally-focused restaurants, admiring public art, enjoying music from street buskers, etc. Art and culture are all around us, and visitors often appreciate it in a way that locals may take for granted. The ensuing enthusiasm can be infectious and exciting for locals. The economic impact should also be recognized - people come into our city, often to spend money and engage in leisure activities, many of which include arts and cultural activities. The impact of their spending on local artists, arts groups, and cultural organizations or presenters is meaningful.

Q: What is your favourite arts- or culture-focused hidden gem or local spot you'd recommend others visit? 
A: The Rotary Centre for the Arts (RCA) is both arts- and culture-focused, with many gems hidden throughout the building. From visual art to theatre to music, and more, there is something for everyone looking to engage with arts and culture. The RCA has free community programming every week; four free, public art gallery spaces; local, touring, and RCA presentations in the Mary Irwin Theatre; and workshops for those interested in being more active while engaging with arts and culture. 

Q: What is one Kelowna Culture Days event you would tell locals and visitors to attend or participate in?
A: The Downtown Kelowna Scavenger Hunt, which runs through the duration of Culture Days. People can download the GooseChase App and do it digitally, or pick up a paper copy at the Rotary Centre for the Arts. The hunt will take them around Downtown Kelowna, into businesses where we've placed local artists' work, to current exhibitions at public galleries, and to public art throughout the downtown core. It can be done all at once or over several days. When people submit their completed scavenger hunt, they are entered to win prize packages from local vendors and cultural hotspots in Downtown Kelowna! It's accessible, free, and great for all ages. It gives people the opportunity to engage with art as well as local business and culture, hopefully discovering hidden gems they weren't aware of before.


Downtown Kelowna Association

Contributed by Mark Burley, Executive Director, and Veronika Kubik, Marketing & Events Manager

Art Walk to Rotary Centre for the Arts
Art Walk, in Downtown Kelowna's Cultural District

Q: How does tourism positively impact our local arts and culture community?
A: 
We’d say tourism positively impacts our local arts and culture community by bringing it to the attention of art lovers outside of Kelowna. We have so much talent in Kelowna that's worth sharing with Canada and the world.

Q: What do you value most about our local tourism industry?
A: That it really encourages locals to get out and explore their backyard! There's so much that Downtown Kelowna has to offer that even as a local there's always something new to do or find. We also really enjoy the collaboration that happens between the different groups involved in tourism as they work together to create new events and bring tourists and locals alike to the area.

Q: What is your favourite arts- or culture-focused hidden gem or local spot you'd recommend others visit? 
A: There’s so much...the Kelowna Art Gallery, RCA, Kasugai Gardens, Actors Studio, and all the art pieces in Downtown Kelowna are amazing and definitely worth visiting.


Evolve Arts Collective

Contributed by Founder, Kurt Werner

Evolve Arts Collective
“Provoke - A Fringe Show" 2019 Kelowna International Fringe Festival. Photo Credit: ​Michael Montagnon

Q: How does tourism positively impact our local arts and culture community?
A: Having future patrons learn about us while they are out-and-about is where the local tourism industry is greatly beneficial for arts and culture events. If you’re downtown having a bite with friends or at a local winery you might see a poster for a show that night and decide to go. Evolve Arts Collective is an emerging performance and creative hub and the more people hear about us, the more events we will be able to put on in the future!

Q: What other local arts/culture organization would you recognize for their collaborative efforts, resiliency, and/or innovation since COVID-19 hit?
A: Ballet Kelowna, Kelowna Actors Studio, and New Vintage Theatre (organizers of the Kelowna Fringe Festival) showcased the adaptability and resiliency needed for the ever-changing climate, which I'm am grateful to have witnessed firsthand, whether it was performing in their productions or partaking as an audience member. 

Q: What is your favourite arts- or culture-focused hidden gem or local spot you'd recommend others visit? 
A: My favourite hidden gems are local art pieces that can be discovered in different establishments, particularly in Kelowna’s Cultural District, such as cafes, pubs, and art centres. I love seeing a piece of visual art hanging, a musician performing their set or stumbling upon a live performance downtown.

Q: What is one Kelowna Culture Days event you would tell locals and visitors to attend or participate in?
A: If you have the time this weekend, please check out ArtStream Okanagan Festival! Evolve Arts Collective is a presenter for this Culture Days event, which takes place on October 2 at 7 p.m. It is a live-stream music event being broadcasted from Third Space Cafe through Unicorns.LIVE and will be featuring the musical talents of Theresa Bishop, Josie Morrow, The Cavernous, Dustin McGifford, and Niki Kennedy. It is a free event (or by donation), presented with support from SoundON, Creative BC, and the Province of British Columbia.
 

Want to take part in our Value of Tourism series? Email me at your convenience to discuss further. 

The Value of Tourism

Prior to the pandemic, tourism in Kelowna and the Central Okanagan was a $2.1 billion dollar industry. As a vital economic driver in the region, there is no doubt of the value that tourism brings, generating close to 13,000 jobs, $443 million in visitor spending, and $204 million in tax revenues for local, provincial, and federal programs and infrastructure. The value of tourism, however, is not only economic, as the industry contributes positively to the quality of life of our region’s residents, who can enjoy world-class amenities, events, and attractions year-round, alongside visitors.