Kamloops tourism numbers hit record high thanks to sports events

KAMLOOPS – A record high for the number of people visiting Kamloops was set in April thanks to some major sporting events.

February and April were big months for the city's hockey community, having hosted Hockey Day in Canada and the IIHF Women's World Cup Hockey Championship.

In a news release from Tourism Kamloops, the city says it understands the correlation between being an exceptional event host and having the ability to drive room nights, hotel tax revenues and overall visitation.

Municipal Regional District Tax figures for April show a 52 per cent increase year over year, the largest tax receipt for April in Tourism Kamloops' history. Year to date tax revenues to the end of April have accounted for a 33 per cent increase over the same period in 2015.

That's according to the CEO of Tourism Kamloops, Beverley DeSantis.

“This is fantastic news for our accommodation partners and for the Kamloops tourism industry at large," DeSantis said in a media release. "Demonstrated revenue and visitation increases result from Tourism Kamloops’ shift in marketing to inspire visitation in off-peak tourism periods.”

Numbers are also up for the Kamloops Visitor Centre, with a 41 per cent increase compared to June of last year. More visitors from B.C., Alberta and other provinces are dominating the arrivals list.

There's also been a 25 per cent increase in the number of European visitors.

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