The Tourism Kelowna Society held its 2022 Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Wednesday, May 9 to announce the 2023-24 Board of Directors, update the association’s membership on recent accomplishments, and outline future priorities. The society’s financial statements and report were also endorsed, noting another clean report from the auditors.
“Through 2022, our local tourism industry continued to move forward in its recovery. We are proud of the resilience of area tourism businesses and our employees, and of the accomplishments Tourism Kelowna and its team have achieved in alignment with the organization’s revised Strategic Plan,” said Kelly Watt, Vice Chair of Tourism Kelowna’s Board of Directors.
“The Board of Directors is ready to guide Tourism Kelowna’s future work, using the Strategic Plan and Tourism Destination Development Plan as roadmaps to achieve sustainable tourism growth for Kelowna and the Central Okanagan, and to deliver positive economic impact for all.”
The 2023-24 Tourism Kelowna Society Board of Directors includes:
Elected
Appointed
The Society’s board will elect directors to executive roles at the upcoming May board meeting.
“This past year offered a semblance of normalcy for our local tourism sector, with most industry indicators approaching 2019 benchmark levels,” said Lisanne Ballantyne, President & CEO of Tourism Kelowna.
“While we are moving in the right direction, we know many tourism businesses continue to struggle, not only with pandemic recovery but with other local and global challenges as well. Going forward, our Strategic Plan will help us strike the necessary balance between destination marketing—to the right type of visitor—and local destination management, working together with the communities we serve to ensure responsible tourism growth benefits residents and businesses alike.”
An updated strategic plan
The Society’s updated strategic plan (2022-2025) was also outlined and includes four key goals around seasonality, destination management, internal excellence, and external engagement: