Tourism
Kamloops Airport numbers continue to climb
KAMLOOPS - The upward trend in the number of travellers coming through the gates at Fulton Field continued in May, following a slower start to the year. The first three months of 2015 saw a slight decline in the number of travellers coming through Kamloops Airport but both April and May offered an increase in...
Why you’ve been reading so much about Vernon vacations lately
VERNON - Vernon has made headlines in various travel publications of late, but what you might not know is how those stories came to be. Those writers from major publications in Canada didn't just happen upon little old Vernon, they’re part of an aggressive new marketing strategy led by the city. Articles in the Globe...
Be a tourist in your own town
PENTICTON - It’s the May long weekend, the first long weekend of summer, but as we in the South Okanagan know all too well, there is no guarantee the weather will be summer-like at this time of year, which sometimes makes it difficult to enjoy the summer activities Penticton is best known for. So, what...
Airport numbers continue to drop in Kamloops
KAMLOOPS - A slight decline in traveller numbers at Fulton Field is being attributed to a continued decline in the number of resource workers in northern Alberta. In March the number of travellers dipped by almost 250 passengers to 28,290, compared to more than 28,500 in March 2014. Combined with modest declines in January and...
City of Vernon to enter race for B.C. Seniors Games
VERNON - The city is preparing to bid on a major sporting event, but it needs a little back-up from its neighbours. The City of Vernon wants to host the 30th anniversary of the 55+ B.C. Games (formerly called the Seniors Games) in 2017 at its new sports track next to Okanagan College. It was...
New president for Penticton Hospitality Association
PENTICTON - As the new President of the Penticton Hospitality Association Barb Haynes is excited to help move the organization forward. The hospitality association reflected on last year’s successes, including the court case with the City of Penticton over allegations of financial mismanagement, which the association won, and planned for a busy 2015 at its annual general...
Edmonton flight helps boost traveller numbers at Kamloops Airport
KAMLOOPS - The number of travellers coming through the gates of Fulton Field is less than last year, but the addition of a direct flight to Edmonton is offsetting any major decline. The latest report from the Kamloops Airport shows the number of travellers for February down nearly 250 over last year, for a total...
Kamloops airport numbers continue to gain altitude
KAMLOOPS - Nearly 20,000 more travellers have passed through the gates at Fulton Field compared to this time last year, keeping the Kamloops Airport on track for another record year. More than 27,400 travellers used the airport in August 2014, up nine per cent over the same month the year before and bringing the year-to-date...
Record growth leads to new construction at airport
KAMLOOPS - Traveler numbers are up more than nine per cent during the first six months of the year as tourism and workers travelling to northern camps continue to increase. Kamloops Airport Ltd. says the number of travellers were up by about 1,500 bringing the total number of travellers to 157,068 so far this year,...
Fintry Queen owner lowers the flag on relocation plan, lists dinner cruise ship for sale
KELOWNA - The owner of the Fintry Queen has given up on the plan to move the iconic dinner cruise ship to Pentiction, and has instead listed the boat for sale. Andy Schwab, president of the Okanagan Lake Boat Company, had been trying to raise money to resurrect the Fintry Queen with plans for a...
Keremeos Grist Mill operator gets renewed lease
PENTICTON - After a long wait, the present operator of the Keremeos Grist Mill Historic site can get on with the business of operating the property. Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations Minister Steve Thomson announced a lease offering to Mathieson Heritage Services for operation of the Keremeos Grist Mill on Feb.16. Mathieson...
The reason fewer travellers used Kamloops airport in January
KAMLOOPS - There were nearly 1,300 fewer travellers who came through the Kamloops Airport last month than the January before and it is believed the lower oil prices may be to blame. In January 2015 nearly 27,800 people came through the gates at Fulton Field, down from the more than 29,000 that travelled in January...
The unique approach Vernon is taking to selling itself
VERNON - A new City of Vernon tourism initiative is focussing more on recommendations shared by word of mouth than snagging a write up in a guide book. The city understands many people rely on reviews from friends and family when picking a place to visit, and it’s found a way to track how often...
American travel writer predicts Kelowna the Next Big Thing
KELOWNA – A story written for a weekly newspaper in Colorado is getting some love on social media in the Okanagan. Travel writer Amiee White Beazley has an article in the Aspen Times predicting Kelowna will be the Next Big Thing calling it the Boulder, Colorado of 40 years ago, but with the added bonus...
PHOTOS: Santa skis and snowboards for free
BIG WHITE – If you were one of the first 30 people to show up at the Big White Ski Resort Sunday dressed as Santa Claus, you got to ski for free. The annual promotion added a very festive feel to the slopes at the resort and the freshly falling snow didn’t hurt. The resort...