Tourism Kelowna continues custom content partnership

What is custom content? In short, it’s working in partnership with websites and media outlets to provide information that their audience will find useful. Much of this content is shared online and is often shared through social networks (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) so it can reach far and wide. You’ve probably seen some of it pop up in your social media feeds – it usually includes travel tips, top 10 lists, must-see places and more.

Some of the information is provided by writers, and some content is provided by organizations. This is sponsored content, and Tourism Kelowna has been working to provide content to online publications to provide helpful tips for their audiences on where to eat, and what to see and do on their next trip to Kelowna.

TOTA Road Show in Kelowna May 11

Please join the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association for the 2016 Driving Tourism Together Road Show!   TOTA President & CEO Glenn Mandziuk and TOTA team members will host the session.

2016 Farm to Table guides look delicious!

The 2016 Farm to Table guides arrived last week and they’re packed full of delicious new content, including a #tasteKelowna contest that encourages people to take photos and share their fun and yummy experiences.

Similar to the Wine Guide contest, the Farm to Table contest acts like a visual and shareable tour and tasting passport. There is one photo entry per location so the more stops an explorer makes, the more chances they have to win a gift basket of local treats!

Look for #tasteKelowna on Twitter and Instagram this spring!

Selling Some Fresh Meeting Ideas

Pat, pictured sixth from left, educated and entertained Toronto meeting planners on Kelowna’s ingredients and meeting opportunities.

Last week, Tourism Kelowna hosted nine meeting planners from Toronto for an interactive cooking class and taste of Kelowna.

Toronto-based Pat Gappmayr welcomed our clients to a state-of-the-art kitchen in the St. Lawrence Market for a fun-filled evening all about Kelowna and its fantastic and fresh ingredients. The group sipped local wines throughout the evening as they worked with local ingredients to prepare a gourmet meal. The result was a fun and interactive way to share ideas and information about our meeting facilities and the great culinary experiences delegates enjoy while in Kelowna.

Strong Start for Golf Kelowna

On the heels of launching a new responsive website, Golf Kelowna has attended three of Western Canada’s largest golf tradeshows. Starting with the Vancouver Golf & Travel Show mid-February, Golf Kelowna was also present at the Edmonton and Calgary Golf Shows in early and late March to capture the attention of Canadian golfers.

Destination British Columbia invites travellers to Journey into the Wild

With an objective to inspire travel within our own province this year (especially in the shoulder seasons of April through June and September through November), Destination BC has launched a major in-province marketing and media campaign inviting British Columbians to get out and explore BC.

ExploreBC.ca screen shot

In addition to TV ads you may have already seen on Global, the campaign includes digital videos from each of BC’s tourism regions, print advertisements, and outdoor advertisements (posters,  billboards, etc.). Additional tactics like point of sale items at visitor centres, social media outreach and activation through partner channels round out the multi-media campaign. An Explore BC website offers trip ideas, travel tips and deals.

Budget Car and Truck Rentals helps drive tourism (literally!)

Steve Wood Kelowna City Manager for Budget Car and Truck Rental hands the keys over to Chris Lewis with Tourism Kelowna

Budget Car and Truck Rentals has given Tourism Kelowna a lift through the use of a 2015 Toyota Sienna minivan through to the end of October, a partnership that will help Tourism Kelowna to bring its message to the streets as they invite and welcome visitors to experience Kelowna and the Central Okanagan.

The brightly coloured vehicle will be seen at local events and festivals and will be used to distribute Tourism Kelowna’s marketing materials including the Visitors’ Guide, Farm to Table Guide, and Wine Trails Guides to local businesses. The vehicle will also be used to shuttle volunteers, visiting travel writers and meeting planners when they’re out exploring Kelowna.