NEWS
CUISINE
LAKE COUNTRY wakeboarder Erik Schroeder, 13, has added some new tricks to his repertoire.
KNOX MOUNTAIN Hillclimb saw one driver sent to hospital after failing to make a turn and colliding into a tree.
JUDE’S KITCHEN advises this is the perfect time of the year for fresh thyme, oregano, chives, tarragon and parsley to be snipped out of the garden and add extra flavour to your meals.
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Kelowna’s Best Value Call for Complimentary Lunch/Dinner www.fernbraemanor.unicarehomes.com
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TUESDAY May 21, 2013 The Central Okanagan’s Best-Read Newspaper www.kelownacapnews.com
Mixed results to start of local tourist season
Kevin Parnell
STAFF REPORTER
While preliminary figures show the number of visitors that attended Kelowna’s tourist information centre was down slightly this weekend over last year, tourism operators were generally happy with the May long weekend, the traditional kick-off to the summer tourist season. Stellar weather, several annual events and the wine and golf industry brought a steady stream of tourists to the Okanagan over the May long weekend, hinting at a continued rebound in the tourism industry since the low of 2009. “Weather tends to play a big role in long weekend activity and we had a beautiful long weekend,” said Catherine Frechette, communications manager at Tourism Kelowna. “We had a lot of people inquiring about camping, wine touring, golf, some wedding parties, all those types of activities that bode well for tourism.” In terms of geographic markets, the majority of inquiries to Tourism Kelowna on the weekend were from Alberta, specifically Calgary, as well as other parts of B.C. including the Fraser Valley. Frechette said most people were asking about the area’s attractions, wineries and parks and were also asking about maps and ways to get around the area. “One trend that has been taking place that is continuing is last minute bookings. We are seeing a lot of people holding back to see what the weather is going to do before they make their plans last minute.” In terms of accommodations, Frechette said the hotel industry is feeling good heading into the 2013 season with small increases year over year dating back to ‘09. “There is optimism for sure,” she said. “We’ve made small gains in the last few years and are climbing our way back from the recession in ‘09. As of last year, we are not quite at the same numbers when we look to the peak in ‘08, but we are climbing back.” One thing making it more complicated to track tourism numbers is the public’s growing reliance on online ways of finding information rather than actually going into the visitor centre. Tourism Kelowna’s Facebook page is the most popular one in Kelowna and the company also receives many requests for information via it’s Twitter handle (@kelownavisitor). “It’s going to be an interesting summer,” said Frechette. “It’s all heading in the right direction.”
MAY DAYS BLOOMS…
While everyone was all smiles at the annual Rutland May Days Parade last Saturday, handing out a few flowers certainly did its part to help create a fun and festive atmosphere among the crowd lined along Rutland Road. See more photos A3. WADE PATERSON/CAPITAL NEWS
▼ RUTLAND
Record turnout for annual May Days Kevin Parnell STAFF REPORTER
Close to 30,000 people took in the 54th annual Rutland May Days celebration on the weekend, the biggest crowd ever to attend the celebration. That included the largest parade ever, as well as the popular West Coast Amusements fair grounds and a stellar lineup of entertainment, drawing 4,000 more people through the gates to continue a renaissance for the community festival which was in dire
straits just four years ago. “It was amazing, the best turnout yet in attendance,” said organizer Chris Brown. “Our entertainment lineup was phenomenal, everybody was walking around the grounds smiling. The only complaint I had was when we had to shut down Sunday night. Overall it was great.” This year’s attendance record marks a stark turnaround from 2009, when just 4,000 people took in the event. That was the last year when the fastball tournament and beer
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gardens were the focal activities of May Days. West Coast Amusements began as part of May Days in 2010 and every year since, as May Days has shown an increase in attendance. “I attribute the growth to a number of factors,” said Brown. “The rides attract kids and kids bring their parents. “Also the acts on the entertainment stage were top notch acts that people will pay to see and are included in the gate admission ($2). “There is also more aware1
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ness of the event now than in the past.” May Days is the main fundraiser for the Rutland Parks Society, and while final figures are still being tallied, Brown says this year’s event raised between $30,000 and $40,000 for the society. The proceeds are directed towards improvements to Centennial Park, which is operated under the auspices of the society.
See Record A8
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