Our travel media program was in full force this spring and late summer. Highlighting the shoulder seasons and the joys of travelling to Kelowna during the spring, fall, and winter is a key focus for our team this year.
April 2023 Media Tour
In April, we hosted a press trip focused on eco-tourism, sharing businesses and experiences that showcase sustainable initiatives. The trip included e-biking the East Kelowna wine trail, foraging the land, taking a bee tour, and visiting local restaurants and wineries. Some of the published pieces that came out of this trip include:
- New food options bloom in sunny Kelowna, Elizabeth Chorney Booth.
- The Perfect Weekend in Kelowna BC, a Must-Visit Foodie Destination, Adria Saracino
The following month, we hosted several content creators and media, highlighting diverse-owned businesses in the area and supporting a family-friendly trip to West Kelowna and Peachland for the Calgary Herald, which resulted in the following piece:
The latter part of the spring highlighted mountain biking through a partner initiative with Mountain Biking BC. We also worked with creators visiting Kelowna and area while road-tripping through BC. Both of these visits resulted in publications, including:
- Average Bikers vs Extreme MTB Trails, Loam Ranger
- Daytrip in Kelowna, VanCity Wild
During the peak of summer, the travel media program takes a hiatus, which allows for planning and invitations to go out for fall and winter trips, resuming the showcasing of shoulder season.
Travel Classics dinner at Quails' Gate Estate Winery
In early September, Tourism Kelowna partnered with Destination BC and Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association to host the Kelowna portion of a pre-trip to Travel Classics, a conference for editors and writers hosted in Vancouver this year.
The group included editors and writers from Canadian and North American publications; we shared unique fall experiences such as coffee education at Bright Jenny, a kombucha tour at Motherlove Ferments, learning about harvest at Paynter’s Market, and an Indigenous-guided plant walk hosted by Jasmine Peone, a member of the syilx Okanagan Nation.
Jasmin Peone leading a guided plant tour for the Travel Classics group
The end of the summer was completed with a visit by a cycling writer, who was welcomed by several cycling organizations and groups in the community, including Friends of the Rail Trail, Hopscyclists, and Cyclepath, who fitted her with a bike to use as she explored the Okanagan Rail Trail in Oyama, Myra Canyon trestles, and the East Kelowna to Lakeshore cycling route. The anticipated story release is sometime in 2024.
To learn more about Tourism Kelowna's travel media program or to provide us with new and noteworthy updates on your business, don't hesitate to get in touch with me at shereen@tourismkelowna.com or (250) 861-1515 ext.
