Report to Communitythe 2024
KELOWNA + AREA: WHERE TOURISM THRIVES
4,400+
HOTEL ROOMS
WINERIES, BREWERIES, CIDERIES AND DISTILLERIES
ABOUT TOURISM KELOWNA
Tourism Kelowna is a leading destination management organization that collaborates with tourism businesses in the Okanagan Valley, including its more than 350 members and advertisers, to create a tourism economy that is sustainable and welcoming for both visitors and residents. Our team works in conjunction with tourism industry associations and partners, local business and economic development agencies, and area municipalities to support and strengthen the long-term resilience of our destination.
Accommodation and Food Services Businesses 900+
GALLERIES AND MUSEUMS 19+
Golf Courses
350+ Parks, Beaches and Lakes
EMBRACING CHANGE Together
MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESIDENT + CEO
Recovering from the economic impact of wildfires in 2023, Kelowna’s tourism industry rebounded with a solid year in 2024. Industry indicators, including strong shoulder-season visitation, high hotel occupancy rates, and record-breaking air passenger numbers at Kelowna International Airport (YLW), continued to validate our region’s reputation as a desirable tourism destination. However, this recovery was not without its challenges—like changes to short-term rental laws, ongoing fears about climate emergencies, severe weather damaging crops, economic challenges, and reduced consumer spending—creating hurdles for some businesses while leaving others feeling stuck or experiencing slower-than-expected growth.
Moving forward, our ability to adapt, innovate, and evolve together as an industry will be critical to sustaining the momentum and resilience we’ve built in recent years. Exciting developments that will help us meet these demands include Kelowna’s bid to become Canada’s first UNESCO City of Gastronomy, construction of the Centre for Food, Wine and Tourism at Okanagan College, the expansion of YLW’s terminal building, new hotel properties set to open in the coming years, and significant investment by the City of Kelowna to update infrastructure, including select sport facilities.
Our team is sharpening its focus on members and industry stakeholders, actively seeking opportunities to collaborate and build impactful partnerships that benefit everyone. By amplifying communication and storytelling on both local and national levels, we are showcasing the immense value of tourism in Kelowna. At the same time, deeper community engagement is fuelling important feedback to shape and refine our efforts. With a bold, forwardthinking approach, we are unlocking untapped opportunities, expanding into new markets, and elevating Kelowna’s reputation as a premier destination for years to come.
The invaluable trust and support from you, our members and the Tourism Kelowna Board of Directors, are the cornerstone of our success. Your feedback, innovative ideas, and meaningful insights inspire and guide us to create a sustainable, resilient tourism economy. We look forward to embracing change and shaping the future of our tourism industry together.
Lisanne Ballantyne, President + CEO Tourism Kelowna
VALUE OF Tourism
of Central Okanagan residents surveyed value the contributions visitors make to the local economy. * 80% of Central Okanagan residents surveyed believe tourism positively contributes to their quality of life.* 75%
* Destination BC, Resident perceptions of tourism snapshot series, 2024-25, Sub-Regional Series: Central Okanagan
** InterVistas 2022-23 Economic Impact Study
*** InterVistas 2022-23 Visitor Intercept Survey
$
B $226M
12,630 Total GDP Total
to taxes
“The Central Okanagan provides one of the most diverse regions in the world in which to produce world-class wines and boasts uncompromised beauty and complementary tourism experiences that draw guests from around the world.”
Curtis Krouzel, FOUNDER, 50TH PARALLEL ESTATE WINERY OKGO AMBASSADOR
2024 Industry Indicators
“We are incredibly proud of the progress we have made in 2024, including Kelowna International Airport achieving record-breaking passenger numbers, a significant milestone that underscores our growing appeal as a destination. As we look ahead to 2025, our focus remains on fostering strong partnerships, working together to enhance the tourism experience, and contributing to the economic growth of the region.”
Sam Samaddar, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Strategic Plan:
MISSION: To collaborate with Okanagan Valley tourism businesses to create a tourism economy that is sustainable and welcoming for both visitors and residents.
VISION: Tourism Kelowna is a leading destination management organization that supports the Okanagan Valley as a sustainable, four-season destination that attracts visitors from around the world.
Seasonality Destination Management Organizational Excellence + Membership Care Stakeholder + Industry Development
GOAL 1
Establish the Okanagan Valley as a four-season travel destination
GOAL 2
Foster the sustainable growth of the destination
GOAL 3
Ensure a high-performing organization with engaged industry supporters
GOAL 4
Collaborate with stakeholders to grow the visitor economy
OBJECTIVES:
Increase visitation and spending in spring, fall, and winter
Target and attract valuesaligned visitors
Focus meetings, conferences, and major event bookings into shoulder seasons
With partners, explore legacy economic resiliency strategies that would strengthen Kelowna’s year-round appeal
OBJECTIVES:
Formalize ongoing
Destination Development stakeholder engagement
Increase visitor and resident education
Promote sustainability and responsible tourism
Connect visitors and residents year-round to tourism events and businesses
Promote the value of tourism in community decision making
OBJECTIVES:
Increase revenue diversity and financial resiliency
Strengthen and promote the value of TK membership
Strengthen culture, consistency, and retention for employees and volunteers
Foster increased Board member engagement and knowledge sharing
Model and promote TK’s commitment to stewardship values and DEIR
OBJECTIVES:
Increase industry feedback, engagement, and collaboration
Provide data, resources, and tools to support tourism businesses
Work with partner organizations to strengthen positive destination reputation
TOURISM KELOWNA’S 2024 RESULTS AT A GLANCE 95%
Average Happiness Score of guests surveyed at the Kelowna Visitor Centre.
“On behalf of the Kelowna Hotel Motel Association, I want to extend our gratitude to Tourism Kelowna for their continued efforts to promote our destination. We are thankful for the collaborative initiatives they lead, which drive visitation to our region, support local businesses, strengthen our hospitality industry, and showcase the best of Kelowna. Their ongoing participation and support of our ‘Heart of Hospitality Awards’ helps us recognize and celebrate the hard work, passion, and dedication of the outstanding individuals who make our sector thrive. We look forward to continuing this valued partnership and working together to enhance the visitor experience further.”
Élyse Godard, President
KELOWNA HOTEL MOTEL ASSOCIATION
$37.7M potential estimated economic impact generated from Meetings + Conferences
$19.9M potential estimated economic impact generated from Sports + Events
Over 123M total advertising impressions
220 travel media articles with circulation of more than 135M, representing an ad value of over $15M
More than 1.6M website sessions and 4.9M pageviews on tourismkelowna.com
Close to 206K followers/subscribers and more than 46M impressions across all social media channels
Nearly 250K total guests at the Kelowna Visitor Centre
More than 300 members mentioned in Tourism Kelowna’s #exploreKelowna consumer blog
KEY RESULTS + Accomplishments
PAVING THE WAY FORWARD
This year, Tourism Kelowna’s Board of Directors worked with leadership to update the organization’s strategic plan, which guides the day-to-day operational work of our team.
Over the past two years, this work has included conducting research, consultation, and laying the groundwork for Tourism Kelowna’s new visual identity and brand, which will be rolled out in 2025 This brand strategy and creative work, which includes an update to our website, will highlight Kelowna and the Central Okanagan’s key differentiators and increase the region’s profile and appeal.
Preparations for 2025’s two major events—the Montana’s Brier and CCMA Country Music Week— also required all hands-on deck. All this work, and more, was vital to strengthening the foundation upon which our organization operates to fulfill its mission and vision, and achieve its strategic objectives. What follows is a snapshot of Tourism Kelowna’s successes in 2024, aligned with several of those objectives.
TAKING HOME A CANNES AWARD
Tourism Kelowna received a prestigious Silver Dolphin award in the ‘Tourism Films, Destinations – Cities’ category at the 2024 Cannes Corporate Media + TV Awards, which are selected by “an esteemed panel of international and independent judges.”
The organization was also selected as one of three finalists in the ‘Community Contribution + Impact’ category for the 2024 BC Tourism Industry Awards, and earned its spot as a finalist in the ‘Master Marketer’ category for Wine Growers of BC 2024 Industry Recognition Awards.
STRENGTHENING KELOWNA’S YEAR-ROUND APPEAL
In addition to year-round marketing efforts, Tourism Kelowna positioned strong advertising campaigns throughout the year in BC, Alberta, and Ontario to draw travellers to visit. Despite a challenging global economy, our strategic and targeted advertising in 2024 generated over 123M ad impressions, earned $130K in leveraged (bonus) media, and helped the Central Okanagan region achieve a 1.6% YOY increase in visitor spending*.
Targeted advertising in summer 2024 was used to help the industry rebound from the devastating effects of the 2023 wildfires. Visitor spending in the Central Okanagan for August 2024 showed an 11.5% YOY increase*, with hotel statistics for the summer showing the strongest results since 2019, which was a benchmark year for Kelowna.
We also continued year-round work to draw travel writers and influencers to Kelowna—welcoming 22 writers for media familiarization tours in 2024—and used Tourism Kelowna’s digital and social channels for ongoing content marketing. Our social media audience across all channels grew by 5% in 2024, to a total of nearly 206K followers and subscribers.
* Estimated spend data is derived from Destination Canada’s Lodging Spend Reporting (April 25, 2025). Distribution, or republication of these estimates requires Destination Canada’s written consent.
“Tourism is a key driver of Kelowna’s economy and a cornerstone of our city’s identity and long-term resilience.
The City of Kelowna is proud to partner with Tourism Kelowna to attract major events, such as the successful Montana’s Brier, as well as the upcoming Memorial Cup and Canadian Country Music Awards. These events generate significant economic benefits, enhance our reputation as a world-class destination, and foster lasting connections within our community. They play a vital role in supporting a thriving local economy and ensuring Kelowna remains a vibrant, welcoming place for both visitors and residents.”
Mayor Tom Dyas | CITY OF KELOWNA
SECURING BUSINESS EVENTS TO DRIVE SHOULDER SEASON GROWTH
In alignment with Destination Canada’s Economic Sectors strategy for meetings and conferences, we continued to drive business events related to our community’s key economic sectors, including agriculture, viticulture, advanced manufacturing, aerospace, and digital tech.
Significant partnership with Destination Canada’s Business Events division provided our team with the opportunity to bring Kelowna and the Central Okanagan into the spotlight for national and international planners at events like PCMA’s Convening Leaders Conference, IMEX America, and Innovate Canada, a Destination Canada Signature Event focused on Agribusiness.
By the year’s end, our Business Development team generated 150 leads for meetings, conferences, and business events, with a potential estimated economic impact of more than $37M.
The team also hosted 12 familiarization tours and site visits, achieved nearly 650 touch points with clients at conferences, tradeshows, and other sales events, and showcased Kelowna’s event-hosting capabilities to more than 45 key decisionmakers at in-market client events.
BOLSTERING ECONOMIC IMPACT WITH MAJOR EVENTS
Our team secured 24 leads for sports and events in 2024, with a potential estimated economic impact of close to $20M
April 2024 saw the announcement of Kelowna’s winning bid to host Country Music Week 2025 and the 2025 CCMA Awards presented by TD, expected to draw more than 2,000 room nights and over $11M in economic impact for the region.
THE MEMORIAL CUP, COMING 2026
In November 2024, the Canadian Hockey League announced that Kelowna will host the 106th edition of the Memorial Cup in spring 2026. Through our Major Events Strategy, Tourism Kelowna worked with the City of Kelowna in support of the Kelowna Rockets’ successful bid.
This event, along with the previously announced 2025 Montana’s Brier—forecast to support 9,000 room nights, bringing in an estimated $12 to $14 million in economic impact—were both secured in part thanks to Tourism Kelowna’s Major Events Strategy, bringing valuable business to Kelowna’s tourism industry during the shoulder seasons.
KEY RESULTS + Accomplishments
CONNECTING VISITORS AND RESIDENTS TO TOURISM BUSINESSES, EVENTS, AND EXPERIENCES
We harnessed the power of artificial intelligence on our website in 2024, launching our Chatbot, KAITI (Kelowna Artificial Intelligence Tourism Information), which provides 24/7 service, 365 days a year. Since its launch in May 2024, KAITI has spent nearly 100 hours chatting, on a total of 1,120 chats.
In addition to the close to 250,000 guests welcomed at the Kelowna Visitor Centre, our Community + Visitor Engagement team provided service to 4,250 parties at our YLW Satellite Visitor Centre, while our mobile visitor centres recorded 5,125 interactions with visitors and locals at area businesses and events where they were set up.
“The OKGo campaign demonstrates what we can achieve through collaboration across industries. Winning the EDAC Marketing Canada Award in the Community Collaboration category highlights our shared commitment to showcasing the Central Okanagan as a thriving ecosystem of innovation and investment opportunities.”
In Tourism Kelowna’s 2024 Member Survey, 75% of respondents were satisfied overall with the organization fulfilling its mission.
COLLABORATING FOR SUCCESS
Our team collaborates as a partner at local, regional, provincial, and national levels, broadening our market segments, participating in additional activities, and leveraging budgets to further our impact.
We participate in Destination BC’s Co-operative Marketing Partnerships Program to highlight specific sectors and the communities in the Central Okanagan. In 2024, for instance, we collaborated with the District of Lake Country and the City of West Kelowna on a 6-week campaign to encourage late summer visitation. With a dedicated campaign landing page, targeted digital advertising in the Lower Mainland, and social media marketing through Tourism Kelowna’s channels, the campaign achieved over 1.2M impressions and almost 64K engagements across platforms.
The ongoing OKGo marketing campaign generated 12 business event leads with a potential estimated economic impact of $2.3M in 2024. The collaborative initiative—launched by Central Okanagan Economic Development Commission, Tourism Kelowna, and Accelerate Okanagan in 2021—also earned an Economic Developers Association of Canada 2024 Marketing Award for Community Collaboration.
Krista Mallory, Manager CENTRAL OKANAGAN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.
INCREASING FINANCIAL RESILIENCE
We continue to look for ways to diversify our revenue streams and increase our financial resilience, specifically through our retail program and through partner advertising, which includes our collaborative marketing programs, digital marketing through our blog and social media channels, display advertising at the Kelowna Visitor Centre, advertising in the #exploreKelowna monthly newsletter, and more.
In 2024, Tourism Kelowna’s retail program generated $587K in revenue for the organization through in-store and online sales, while partner advertising generated just over $405K in revenue.
More than 100 local businesses, artists, and artisans received a collective $258K in direct sales from Tourism Kelowna’s Consignment Retail Program.
TOTAL REVENUE $5,809,570 TOTAL EXPENSES $6,153,895
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:
Tourism Kelowna would like to thank Westbank First Nation and Okanagan Indian Band for the privilege to live, work, and play on the tmxʷúlaʔxʷ (land), that is the unceded and traditional territory of the syilx Okanagan peoples, the original stewards of these lands and to whom we give thanks to as our hosts.
WITH GRATITUDE:
We recognize and thank the following partners and organizations who have either assisted with direct funding or collaborated with us to deliver programs and services:
DESTINATION CANADA / GOVERNMENT OF CANADA
DESTINATION BC / GOVERNMENT OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
CITY OF KELOWNA
DISTRICT OF LAKE COUNTRY
CITY OF WEST KELOWNA
WESTBANK FIRST NATION
TOURISM INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION OF CANADA
TOURISM INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION OF BC
THOMPSON OKANAGAN TOURISM ASSOCIATION
BC HOTEL ASSOCIATION
KELOWNA HOTEL MOTEL ASSOCIATION
KELOWNA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
CENTRAL OKANAGAN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
ACCELERATE OKANAGAN
We also extend our heartfelt gratitude to our exceptional Board of Directors, whose visionary governance, steadfast oversight, and strategic leadership provide a long-term vision that ensures a thriving and enduring future for the Society.
Finally, we are grateful for our team of dedicated staff and volunteers, whose dedication and purposeful efforts inspire and warmly welcome visitors, foster innovative ideas, and cultivate meaningful connections. Their contributions not only enrich the experiences of our valued members but also strengthen the success of our local tourism businesses and community as a whole.
PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER
KELOWNA VISITOR CENTRE
238 Queensway, Kelowna, BC V1Y 6S4 TOURISMKELOWNA.COM #exploreKelowna