For more than 2 years the company where I've work from time to time has been trying to do business with Tourism Kelowna. I used the word "business" but actually, we were trying to give them some "FREE" stuff. You must be wondering what "FREE" stuff I am talking about, or what "FREE stuff" Tourism Kelowna could need? Well, the company started a project to promote Kelowna as a tourist attraction more than 2 years ago, specifically targeting the nature around us. We did a great job with parks and beaches in Kelowna, and that's what we tried to give away to Tourism Kelowna. At the end of the day, who is responsible to promote Kelowna? Right? If you are still wondering, probably you need something more visual, something like this:

Kasugai Garden Park: http://www.virtualbc.ca/sites/kasugaigardenpark/
Knox Mountain Park: http://www.virtualbc.ca/knoxmountain/
Bertram Creek: http://www.virtualbc.ca/sites/bertram2/
Sarson Beach Park: http://www.virtualbc.ca/sites/sarson1/
Gyro Beach: http://www.virtualbc.ca/sites/gyro1/
Mill Creek Regional Park: http://www.virtualbc.ca/sites/mill4/
Mission Creek Greenway: http://www.virtualbc.ca/sites/creek/
Rotary Beach: http://www.virtualbc.ca/sites/rotary2/
Bird Sanctuary: http://www.virtualbc.ca/sites/maude_roxby/

Several meetings with them and everything was back and forward, passing the ball, red tape, or whatever you want to use to describe this common situation in The Okanagan. We tried again few months ago, but with a different project this time, a great concept to promote Kelowna. Yes, you are right, we got the same results. In few words, Tourism Kelowna is a "paid" service that respond to the interests of whoever is paying for any of their advertising packages "plus" the board of directors who take the final decisions, if you are not a member of the "club", then you are not welcome. A lot of people love the beaches and parks in Kelowna, Tourism Kelowna doesn't. Unbelievable, right? Check their website: http://www.tourismkelowna.com/do/lake/beaches-and-parks/

On a side note, "The City of Kelowna plans to build a new visitors centre for Tourism Kelowna at the base of Queensway Avenue downtown on the lake between Kerry and Stuart park. It will be part of improvements that will also see the boardwalk go right by the visitors centre better connecting parks and public spaces." (1) Yes, you read it right, "parks and public spaces". It looks like the bad guys are the ones receiving the rewards. They don't have a single picture on their website representing one of our beaches or parks. It's hilarious how they "spent over $800,000 on a marketing campaign spotlighting the Central Okanagan in 2014" (2) but they don't have money to buy a digital camera to take some picture here and there. Come on guys, you can do a better job to justify your salaries, right? They are not even providing directions of how to get to the parks and beaches.

Something even more interesting is that the article from Kelowna Daily Courier, the number 1, tell us that Tourism Kelowna "spends $2.6 million a year to promote the city as a place to visit", and the article from the Capital News, the number 2, mentions that "Tourism Kelowna spent over $800,000 on a marketing campaign spotlighting the Central Okanagan". It's really hard to follow Tourism Kelowna with the accurate information that they provide to the media. But well, this is Kelowna, a heavenly place where the sunshine controls everything including the salaries. What a bright future for Kelowna!

(1) http://www.kelownadailycourier.ca/business_news/article_815d85ca-7c05-11e4-8b2e-fb8020c83960.html
(2) http://www.kelownacapnews.com/news/295356311.html