This past week, Tourism Kelowna held its first-ever virtual Wine Trails program meeting, bringing together our partner wineries from around Kelowna and the Central Okanagan on a Zoom call.
In times of uncertainty and insecurity, it’s crucial for us to be able to connect with our stakeholders and to keep our lines of communication open. This meeting gave us the opportunity to directly present Tourism Kelowna’s The Way Forward: COVID-19 Response Plan, and detail the initiatives that make up each phase; Preserve, Push, Promote, and how these relate directly to the program partners.
Each one of the partner wineries also had the chance to share how their business operations have been impacted by the global pandemic, how they have pivoted and adapted to the situation, pose questions and ideas to their counterparts, and share feedback on how Tourism Kelowna can continue to support the industry both in the short term and as we move forward. It's encouraging to see that many of the wineries are still offering wine pick up options, free and discounted deliveries locally and across the country, and are beginning to offer virtual wine tastings and experiences.
These partner meetings are key in helping us understand the intricacies and needs of the wine industry, as well as any trends or developments that may be occurring. The information we gain helps us navigate these unprecedented times and will allow us to be ready and properly positioned when the time comes to push and promote travel to our destination once again.
With travel suspended temporarily and ongoing requests for people to stay home, Tourism Kelowna has pivoted its strategy and is focused on maintaining our visitor economy, connecting consumers to our local businesses through our #exploreKelownafromhome campaign. A specific wine pick-up and delivery information page has been created on our website and we are starting to feature virtual events, as well as specials and offers.
If you would like to receive some information on the WIne Trails Partner Program, please feel free to reach out to me at sara@tourismkelowna.com.
