Although public health officials are currently not encouraging non-essential travel to the Interior Health Region, we know that the measures being taken now will ensure that we can welcome back travellers from the US and other international destinations soon. This will include meetings, conferences, and events business, which brings valuable economic impact to our region, particularly during shoulder seasons. …
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On July 12, the Government of Canada announced the launch of the Tourism Relief Fund, which will provide $500 million in funding, over two years, for the hard-hit tourism sector…
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As COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to decline and with close to 80% of eligible adults having received their first vaccine, BC will move forward with the next step of its restart plan on July 1 as planned. The move to Step 3 is exciting news for the tourism industry in particular, as the province gets set to welcome back visitors from across the country for recreational travel…
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With the number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations on the decline and more than 75% of adults in BC having now received their first dose of the vaccine, the province will move to Step 2 of its restart plan on June 15, as planned. This is welcome news to everyone in the tourism industry, as the ban on non-essential travel within the province will be lifted as part of this next step…
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In a typical year, about 80% of visitors to Kelowna are domestic travellers, with more than half of visitors driving to our region. Last year, with international travel on hold and the US border closed, the percentage of domestic visitors jumped to more than 90%, which is likely going to be similar this year as Canadian travellers look to explore our four-season playground when travel restrictions begin to ease. As BC's Restart Plan moves forward and we prepare to welcome travellers back in the months to come, here are five things to keep in mind…
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The 2021-22 Tourism Kelowna Society Board of Directors, announced earlier this month at the Society’s AGM, is now in place and ready to guide the destination marketing organization’s restart efforts, when the time is right, while supporting the industry through recovery and beyond…
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On May 25, the provincial government announced BC’s restart plan, a summary of which can be viewed below. Existing COVID-19 restrictions will begin to ease as we progress through each step of the four-part plan, so long as vaccination rates continue to increase and cases and hospitalizations decrease…
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As COVID-19 case numbers decrease and vaccination rates increase, we move closer and closer to once again welcoming visitors to our community…
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The Tourism Industry Association of BC (TIABC), alongside other tourism and hospitality associations, recently met with Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, to discuss the pandemic and to get updates on current and future restrictions and measures…
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The 2020/21 winter season has been tough for the tourism industry, with hotels among the hardest hit—normal occupancy levels during the winter in Kelowna are around 40-50%, but this year they have been as low as 20%. In an effort to boost hotel occupancy by encouraging staycations through the rest of winter and into spring, Tourism Kelowna is developing new content features focused on the local market…
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