Vernon does better than most on tourism front

Jan 27, 2021 | 5:15 AM

It comes as no surprise that tourism has taken a hit due to COVID-19, but the chair of the local tourism commission says Vernon made the best of a bad situation.

While occupancy rates on a regional level were down as much as 50 per cent, several of Vernon’s accommodators reported occupancies consistently higher than the provincial average through the summer months. In the midst of a global health and tourism crisis, Vernon performed well as a destination for domestic travel.

Claus Larsen noted while hotel stays were not at 2019 levels ($37 million), hotel room revenue still hit an estimated $21.6 million.

“Which is considerably better, than what can be said in other cities around the Okanagan,” Larsen told Vernon council.

Tourism operators are being credited with quick action to make sure visitors that did come from Alberta and other parts of B.C. felt safe.

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“We have been one of the biggest success stories and that’s due to some of the actions we took early on, but mostly everyone’s willingness to do the unknown,” Larsen said. “To step out of their own shadow, step out of the box and do the right things to get tourists here in a safe manner.”

There was a lot of in market travel from surrounding areas, which also helped, Larsen said.

“So instead of people going to Hawaii or wherever, we saw people coming here from Kamloops, Penticton, Kelowna and Salmon Arm,” Larsen said. “Vernon was one of the hottest places, even so much more than Kelowna.”

The 2021 tourism marketing plan adopted by council on Monday will focus on high value sector development that helped the area weather the storm in 2020.

“As a biking, hiking, skiing and golf sectors boom, promoting and developing Vernon as a mecca for outdoor experiences should be front and center in promotional efforts,” the plan stated.

by Kevin Rothwell

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