Mission

“To support and market the tourism destination of Kelowna in a sustainable manner that strengthens the economy and enriches the quality of life for residents and neighbouring communities.” (Tourism Kelowna, 2019a)

VISION

“Kelowna and the region will be internationally recognized as the four-season outdoor destination of choice in North America by 2023.”
(Tourism Kelowna, 2020a)

Brand Promise

“In Kelowna, you will explore, sip, play, and be fully centred when you find yourself surrounded by the best the Okanagan Valley has to offer, all within easy reach.” (Tourism Kelowna, 2020a)

Core Values

Collaboration: We think big. We have a voice. We work together.
Excellence: We lead the way in everything we do.
Pride: We are a reflection of the destination we serve.
Innovation: We embrace bold ideas and creative solutions.
Integrity: We are fair, We are open. We do the right thing.
(Tourism Kelowna, 2020a).

Sustainability Pledge

“We act every day to foster the preservation and continual restoration of our land, resources, and communities.” (Tourism Kelowna, 2020a)

increase | Grow | Strengthen

(Tourism Kelowna, 2020f)

2019 – 2023 Strategic Plan

Tourism Kelowna’s strategic plan was approved in April 2019, by the Tourism Kelowna Board of Directors (Tourism Kelowna, 2019a). Based on the above three strategic priorities, Tourism Kelowna has key initiatives involving experience marketing, visitor experience and destination development (Tourism Kelowna, 2020f). For the upcoming years, they plan on attracting visitors, hosting meetings and conferences, securing major events, elevating the visitor experience, and providing value through their programs (Tourism Kelowna, 2019a; Tourism Kelowna, 2020f). Their 2023 objectives as seen above will contribute to them embracing the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals as seen below (United Nations, 2018). A driving factor behind them is the third point ‘Strengthen Sustainable Growth of the Destination’ which puts those goals at the forefront of their tourism plan (TourismKelowna, 2020f).

(United Nations, 2018).

Stakeholders:

Without needing to pay a membership fee, Tourism Kelowna considers all tourism businesses and organizations in the Kelowna Census Metropolitan Area as stakeholders; with more than 400 tourism businesses and organizations participating in their stakeholder marketing programs (Tourism Kelowna, 2020f).

By participating in Tourism Kelowna’s entry-level ‘Base Advertising Program’ it links tourism businesses with visitors through their website, Official Visitors’ Guide, and Kelowna Visitor Centre. Base Program participants have voting rights and can run for the Board of Directors while Active Base Program participants can also take part in our other advertising programs such as (Tourism Kelowna, 2020f):

(Tourism Kelowna, 2020f)

Tourism Industry:

Tourism Kelowna works in conjunction with regional, provincial and national tourism associations (Tourism Kelowna, 2020f).

Local Community:

Tourism Kelowna works towards not only strengthening the local economy but also enriching the quality of life for Central Okanagan residents.  By consulting and collaborating with local residents they can strengthen the long-term sustainability of Kelowna (Tourism Kelowna, 2020f).

COVID-19 Measures

Health and Safety

Tourism Kelowna provides a COVID-19 Measures page on their site with information regarding both businesses and the public; they also offer a page with information and resources that is frequently updated (Tourism Kelowna, 2020c, i). Their website provides continuous updates to provide an overview of what businesses have done, what procedures are in place, and what visitors can do to take precautions for ensuring the health and safety of everyone (Tourism Kelowna, 2020c).  It would appear that Tourism Kelowna’s COVID-19 strategy is based on following the guidelines put forth in British Columbia’s COVID-19 Plan while providing numerous resources for their stakeholders and visitors that are updated frequently to keep current with the changing phases (Tourism Kelowna, 2020h).

Most recently Tourism Kelowna has implemented among other restrictions, that masks are mandatory in all indoor public spaces and workplaces; additionally, a travel advisory requesting residents to avoid all non-essential travel within and to the province of B.C. (Tourism Kelowna, 2020h).

Business COVID-19 Measures

Following the guidance of WorkSafeBC, all businesses in BC developed their own COVID-19 safety plans; which include steps for assessing and outlining measures to reduce risk.  Measures include: eliminating unnecessary touchpoints, implementing barriers, reducing occupancy capacity, increasing cleaning procedures, and additional signage to encourage 2-metre distancing.  Groups of no more than 6 people can be together, including at restaurants, guided tours, and wine tastings (Tourism Kelowna, 2020c). 
Many businesses in Kelowna also offer:

  • Sanitization stations
  • No contact services
  • Employees wearing masks
  • Touchless temperature check of guests (primarily airlines)
  • Contact tracing

Public COVID-19 Measures

While businesses have been doing their part in ensuring that everyone stays safe, Tourism Kelowna recommends a few additional measures for the public to adhere to.  Those measures are maximum of 6 people per group and maintain 2 metres between yourself and other people. Additional safety measures they suggest would be bringing personal hand sanitizer for situations were washing your hands is unavailable (Tourism Kelowna, 2020c).

(Tourism Kelowna, 2020f)