For the first time since 2019, Tourism Kelowna attended the annual Travel Media Association of Canada (TMAC) Conference, held this year in Sudbury, Ontario, from June 14 to 18. Throughout the event, I had the opportunity to network with fellow attendees, which included 80 members of the Canadian media and more than 90 delegates from destination marketing organizations and public relations teams from around the globe.
As part of the conference, TMAC hosted its Media Marketplace, providing one-on-one meetings with over 20 key media members. These one-on-one appointments were booked with select media from across the country who fit Tourism Kelowna's desired metrics, such as key publications and audience markets. During these sessions, we discussed our destination's key drivers, such as Kelowna’s natural setting and four-season playground, balanced lifestyle, and urban amenities. Sustainable tourism, Indigenous culture, the growth of culinary talent in the Okanagan, the wine, beer, cider, and craft spirits scene, and year-round travel were themes that continued to present themselves throughout the discussion organically.
The excitement and energy felt at the conference were encouraging to be a part of. Writers and content creators are eager to return to Kelowna and see the city's growth, with many having not visited since the pandemic began. The positive outcome of this event could not have gone ahead without the smooth planning of the TMAC team as well as our gracious hosts, Tourism Sudbury, who put on a successful multi-day event with multiple opportunities to meet with travel media, personal development sessions, and a chance to connect with fellow Destinations to see what is happening around Canada and North America.
If you have stories you'd like media to cover, please send them to me at shereen@tourismkelowna.com.
