The first Canada Day without any COVID-19 restrictions became the biggest event Kelowna, BC has seen in years, boosting the outlook for the tourism industry.
“By all accounts, I think it was a great start to the tourist season and I think it will probably be the busiest summer ever,” Kelowna Mayor Colin Basran said.
“I think the message for anyone who comes to our city is that we want you here, we want you to have fun, but come and act accordingly.”
Statistics Canada reports that the country’s tourism industry accounted for close to 50 percent of GDP in 2020. Now, before the ban-free summer, tourist attractions are already getting busy and Canada Day was proof.
Read more: Great start to Kelowna tourist season
“We started right away with the jump. We usually had anywhere between 30 [minute] 2 hour wait-time throughout the day,” says Jared Lee Central Kitchen + Bar co-owner. “But it was constant, people were coming out. It’s nice to see people having fun.”
A similar trend was noticed at the Smile Cycle Tour in Kelowna, which offers a way to get around town to visit all your favorite restaurants.
Smile Cycle tour guide Sonja Ruewkamp said, “We had too many tours going on, we had back-to-back all day yesterday and that is so exciting for us because we all love being here, we love that the COVID restrictions have been lifted.” ,
Ruevkamp said there were many people from all over Canada on Friday’s tour, and as the summer progresses, she’s looking forward to more.
According to Statistics Canada, this year has already seen an increase in international visitors. About 800,000 Americans visited Canada this April, eight times more than in April of 2021.