After living in Kelowna for more than six months, I thought I had a solid handle on what attracts tourists to this city and what brings them back for return engagements.

The answers seemed as obvious as Donald Trump’s comb over. Okanagan Lake with its sandy beaches, waterfront boardwalk, and seasonal watersports. Knox Mountain and all the other elevated vistas with hiking and biking trails. Right at the top were the wealth of countryside wineries, 19 challenging golf courses, and acres and acres of scenic orchards.

 

 

 

 

All legitimate. All must-see playgrounds. Then one evening at January’s Downtown Kelowna After 5 mixer at Manhattan Point Restaurant I met up with Catherine Frechette of Tourism Kelowna. For the past 11 years, she has been the Communications Manager and persistent pitcher for Team Tourism. My first pitch was – “what is the single-most visited attraction in Kelowna?” She never hesitated and threw me a curveball. I wasn’t ready for it. Metaphorically speaking, the bat never left my shoulder.

 

 

 

 

“Myra Canyon Trestles,” was Frechette’s rapid response. Huh?! Myra wasn’t on my radar. Wife Elaine had mentioned something a while back about trestles and bridges, but the name wasn’t in my wheelhouse. Maybe because MC is a 30-minute drive from downtown Kelowna and we hadn’t been there yet? A little research was needed.

 

 

 

 

Well, lookie here. Nice call, Catherine.

 

 

 

Myra Canyon welcomes more than 60,000 visitors per year to soak in the incredibly scenic portion of the Kettle Valley Railway (KVR) that features 18 trestles bridges and two tunnels. To bike or walk the multi-purpose path into Myra is a glimpse of Canadian railroad history – imagining how a steam train would have made its way through this steep-walled canyon along tracks with no more than a two percent rail grade. The other perspective is how workers from around the world constructed the original railway through elevation and unforgiving terrain.

 

 

 

I stand corrected. Myra Canyon sounds like a tourist magnet. Walk it. Ride it. Shutterbug it. All aboard. Who doesn’t like trains and man-made tunnels piercing canyon walls?

 

 

 

 

Tourism Kelowna (TK) has a $2.7 million year budget that is performance-driven. Most of the funding comes from a 2% hotel tax as well as grant dollars. The staff is lean and mean – 12 full-time staffers, a handful of part-time workers, and 50 volunteers spread out between the downtown Visitor Centre and Kelowna International Airport. The TK Board is comprised of 18 local business executives. About 100 travel journalists per year contact TK looking to tell the Okanagan Valley story and uncover its secret gems.

 

 

 

 

My questions kept coming – “what are tourists surprised by when visiting Kelowna?”

“They are surprised by the depth and diversity of things to do here,” offered Frechette. “We’re not a huge city, but we have a major hospital, colleges, universities, symphony, theatre, arts, skiing, international flights, and a vibrant downtown. Recent investments have helped. Our amenity base is unbelievable.

 

 

 

“Tourists understand and feel more at home with a vibrant core. They want a quality guest experience that makes them feel welcomed, and makes them want to experience more, stay longer, and create memories. Kelowna used to be known as beaches and peaches. Not anymore.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

According to an Economic Impact Study, Tourism is tied for the third spot (with manufacturing) in private economic drivers in the city. #1 is healthcare, #2 is construction. The economic impact of Tourism can be summarized by these direct annual impacts:

 

 

 

 

 

Kelowna welcomes more than 1.5 visitors annually.

 

 

 

Guests spend more than $279 million on dining, accommodations, and entertainment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tourism creates nearly 7,100 jobs.

In addition to employment, Tourism in Kelowna contributes $335 million in direct Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and $652 million in Direct Economic Output.

The overall tax-revenue contribution generated by the tourism sector represents about $100 million yearly – the largest recipient of this tax revenue was the federal government ($57 million), followed by the provincial ($34 million), and municipal ($9 million) governments.

 

 

 

“So who’s coming to town and what’s trending in 2015?”

Two things,” replied Frechette. “First, mountain and road biking are bringing in a new demographic. These riders, who take their craft seriously, are finding our mountains, orchards, and untraveled back roads much to their liking. The scenery is breathtaking. Second, farm-to-table culinary trends are popular. We call it the path to your plate. Top chefs are noticing our region’s resources. Vacationers are looking for and buying local, fresh products. Agriculture made Kelowna a city.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When she isn’t pitching stories, Frechette might be pitching hay. In her spare time, she likes to horseback ride at a private ranch. Three days per week during riding season she leases a black quarter horse named Cody. She admits to sometimes wearing her riding clothes to work.

 

 

 

“I used to ride as a kid in Ottawa,” she said. “Cody is a tall, dark, and handsome fellow standing 15’-3”. When I’m with him, he demands all my attention. When I get a chance to play the tourist’s role, I enjoy traveling to Munich, Germany. Almost half of my family lives there, so it feels like another home when I go there.”