Tourism Kelowna collects research data from numerous sources, which helps support and inform our team's work while also allowing us to identify trends and patterns in the local market. Key indicators, including visitation, hotel occupancy, airport passenger numbers, visitor spending, and more, are regularly posted and collected.

We've compiled some helpful information regarding data for some 2024 key indicators. When comparing Q3 2024 to Q3 2023, it is essential to note that wildfires started in the Central Okanagan on August 15, 2023, significantly impacting tourism well into September 2023.


Fast Facts for the Third Quarter of 2024
 

Hotels - Q3 2024 Stats


Hotels, Motels, & Resorts Q3 Insights
  • Hotels, Motels, & Resorts in Kelowna and the Central Okanagan performed well in Q3, with monthly YOY increases in all metrics, except for the Average Daily Rate (ADR) in July, which was down slightly by -1.5%. 
  • August 2024 saw a significant 15.2% YOY increase in Occupancy, the largest YOY increase for any month this year. It is essential to note that wildfires started in the Central Okanagan on August 15, 2023, significantly impacting tourism.
  • Although hotel statistics for summer 2024 did not break the 2019 records, it was the strongest summer since 2019.
Hotels, Motels, & Resorts Year to Date
  • With hotels continuing to perform well month after month throughout the year, there are signs that they will be near or possibly exceed benchmarks this year.

YLW - Q3 2024 Graph


Kelowna International Airport Q3 Insights
  • The volume of passengers through the Kelowna International Airport (YLW) continues to increase compared to 2023, surpassing 1.5 million passengers by the end of September.
  • September set a new benchmark for total number of passengers, coming in at 167,433 (the previous benchmark of 161,433 was set in September 2023).
  • July 2024 saw a 6.9% decrease year over year; however, August 2024 bounced back with a 21.1% increase.
Kelowna International Airport Year to Date
  • With YLW, on average, performing well throughout the year, it's showing signs that passenger volume will exceed 2 million and be near or possibly exceed benchmarks this year.

Short Term Rentals Q3 2024 Graphs


Short-term Rentals Q3 Insights
  • Short-term rentals in Kelowna and the Central Okanagan have seen a significant change YOY, most notably with the Total Number of Reservations and the Average Number of Properties which were down every month of Q3.
  • Average Occupancy for short-term rentals increased for Q3, notably due to the decrease in the Average Number of Properties. Average occupancy for Q3 2024 was 56.3% compared to 49.8% in Q3 2023 an increase of 12.9%.
  • Many factors could be attributed to the drop in reservations such as changes to the legislation which decreased the number of properties, as well as ongoing inflation and economic conditions.
Short-term Rentals Year-to-Date
  • Short-term rental legislation from the province and municipalities was enacted on May 1, 2024. On average, the number of short-term rental properties has decreased for every month in 2024 YOY, with more notable decreases starting in May. The impact has primarily been on the Total Number of Reservations. Average Occupancy YTD was 38.3%, an increase of 5.4% YOY.

Visitor Spending - Q3 2024 Graph


Visitor Spending Q4 Insights
  • There was a -14 % YOY decrease in visitor spending in July 2024, which is unusual; however, for more than two weeks during the month, Kelowna was under an environmental heat warning due to extreme heat.
  • It should also be noted that July 2023 set the record for total visitor spending in the destination, so ongoing inflation and economic considerations may also come into play.
  • Spending bounced back in August with a 9.7% YOY increase, with September seeing a slight increase of 1% in growth
Visitor Spending Year to Date

Looking at 2024 year-to-date results, which extend until the end of the third quarter, we'll note a slight decrease in visitor spending (-0.6%), primarily attributed to drops in January, along with July as noted above. Unseasonable highs and extremely cold temperatures made for unfavourable weather conditions for winter activities, which may have contributed to the -15.1% decrease YOY in January 2024. Other months of 2024 showed modest to slight increases in growth, with the exception of April which saw a slight decrease in growth.

The data suggests that weather conditions may correlate with visitor spending levels, with negative impacts due to extreme weather events.  

Note: Visitor Spending monthly data for 2024 are preliminary estimates, which are subject to revision throughout the year. Final estimates for Visitor Spending will be provided once all 2024 data has been received.

You can find additional research data here. 


Visitation 

Quarter 3 2024 visitation numbers are not available at this time - work continues to seek visitation data for 2024.


Fourth Quarter Outlook for Kelowna and Area

Barring any major event, change, or extreme weather events, the final quarter of 2024 should maintain the status quo regarding tourism. October 2023 was a strong month in Kelowna, so October of this year will likely have minimal or no growth. November and December 2024 are anticipated to have minimal to moderate levels of growth compared to the previous year. 
 

If you have questions about any data shared in this post, contact me at steve@tourismkelowna.com. If you have insights or perspectives from your business, please contact the appropriate team member; we would love to hear from you. 


Additional resources:


Tourism Kelowna collects and analyzes data from various sources.​ The data presented in this article represents data Tourism Kelowna has received up to the end of Q3 2024, allowing us to promptly report on the data. Visitation data will be compiled and shared at a later date.