Excitement is building as significant progress is being made on the new Kelowna Visitor Centre. The project remains on budget and on schedule for a mid-2018 opening, and a public opening date will be announced shortly.
Construction Progress
The project team is working fast and working hard to complete the building exterior. The roofing is complete, and much of the glass work and folding glass door has been installed with the remaining pieces set to be installed in the coming days. Throughout the project, environmental monitoring has been ongoing, with no issues to report.
The City of Kelowna has hired a contractor for the landscaping enhancements to Kerry Park, which will continue after the new Kelowna Visitor Centre has opened. You can find more about that project on the City of Kelowna website.
Inside the building, electrical, mechanical, and plumbing work continues. Soon, the shelving and display cabinets will be installed. The building is coming together nicely, and the entire Tourism Kelowna team is looking forward to welcoming and assisting visitors and residents at the new Kelowna Visitor Centre very soon.
Sponsorship Opportunities
There is still time to have your business included in the list of key supporters that helped bring this vision to life. If you want to be part of the celebration when we open our doors and enthusiastically welcome residents and visitors alike to learn about our city, book their Kelowna experiences, and purchase products to remind them of their visit, please contact Jennifer Horsnell at jennifer@tourismkelowna.com or at 250-861-1515 ext 205.
The deadline for sponsorship listings on our donor wall for the grand opening is Friday, June 15th.
Increasing Visitor Spending
Tourism is a growing business in Kelowna and the Central Okanagan. In fact, the total economic output is over $1.25 billion. Visitor spending in our destination has increased from $279 million in 2011 to over $337 million in 2016. That's an increase of 20.8%. Between 2011 and 2016, spending on accommodations in Kelowna and area increased 12.3% and spending on activities and entertainment increased over 366.7%!
One of the many benefits of a strong visitor centre and visitor experience strategy, is the ability to increase visitor spending in Kelowna and area. Our visitor experience team and hardworking volunteers will work to refer business to all of the many activities, attractions and accommodations in Kelowna and the Central Okanagan. This will mean even more activity to further grow our local economy and contribute to our quality of life.
You can read more about the Economic Impact of Tourism in Kelowna on Tourism Kelowna's website.
