Vernon
Image by BC Local News
Vernon is a four-season playground located in the Okanagan region of the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. Vernon has fields and valleys blooming that offer great opportunities for hiking, biking and other adventures in the spring. The three lakes surrounding Vernon, Okanagan, Kalamalka, and Swan, give the perfect setting for summer activities such as swimming, boating, and stand up paddleboards. The nature around Vernon offers views that are second to none in the fall and you can enjoy the snow at Silver Star Mountain during the winter. (Tourism Vernon)
p cyap. kwu ala. “You have all arrived. We are here.”
The Syilx/Okanagan People welcome you to their unceded territory that is united by a common language, nsyilxc n. The territory extends throughout the Okanagan & Columbia River watersheds north to the BC/Alberta border near Kinbasket Lake down the Selkirk Range to the State of Washington following the Columbia River Basin west to Lake Chelan to the Cascades summit then north that includes parts of the Nicola, Salmon, and Spallumcheen (Shuswap) Rivers. (Tourism Vernon)
Tourism Statistics in Vernon
The Thompson Okanagan region tourism industry is growing, with an increase in international visitors all year around. The domestic average monthly visitation is increasing between years during summer and fall, but decreasing a bit in winter and spring (Symphony Tourism Service).
The tourism industry is quickly growing around the globe and Vernon is no exception. Between 2010-2016 the Municipal and Regional District Tax (MRDT) revenue increased by roughly 16% (Poole, 2018, p. 6). The growth is projected to continue rising in the coming years, although Covid-19 has put a temporary hold on it. In 2016, the economic impact of visitors staying at hotels in the area was over $138.6 million with another $51.9 million added from people staying with friends and family (Poole, 2018, p. 9). This is is the return on a budget of a bit over $1 million ($1.159.347 in 2017) (Tourism Vernon, Building Vernon’s Tourism Future, p. 4). The budget will increase based on the MRDT revenue, in addition, to an increase in budget from 2% to 3% of the MRDT, to an estimate of $1.7 million in 2022 (Tourism Vernon, Building Vernon’s Tourism Future, p. 30). The increase in budget will give Tourism Vernon the opportunity reach their goals of “Increase Vernon’s market share of travelers to and within BC”, “Improve Vernon’s Net Promoter Score”, Increase stakeholder rating of tourism Vernon’s overall performance by 15.3% to over 4.0 by 2023″ & “Increase tourism-driven economic benefits to Vernon” (Tourism Vernon, Building Vernon’s Tourism Future, p. 6).
The Covid-19 pandemic is putting a halt on the growth in the tourism industry, as well as others, and many businesses have been affected. In order to help keep employees on the job, increase cash flow, and providing support to help pay rent the Government of Canada took immediate action (Cuplinskas, 2020). The Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister have announced that the new Canada Emergency rent subsidy and wage subsidy have been extended until June 2021 (Cuplinskas, 2020). This pandemic is tough on all parts of society and unclear when it will be over, but once it is over the Tourism industry will most likely rise again.
References
Cuplinskas, K. (2020, Okt 9). Government announces new, targeted support to help businesses through pandemic. Retrieved from Government of Canada: https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/news/2020/10/government-announces-new-targeted-support-to-help-businesses-through-pandemic.html
Poole, K. (2018). Tourism Vernon Economic Impact. Tourism Vernon.
Symphony Tourism Service. (n.d.). Thompson Okanagan Community Research. Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association.
Tourism Vernon. (n.d.). Building Vernon’s Tourism Future. Tourism Vernon.
Tourism Vernon. (n.d.). Index. Retrieved from Tourism Vernon: https://www.tourismvernon.com/en/index.aspx