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'They're doing stuff for free': Slow tourism for Okanagan, despite steady visitors

Wine tours in the Okanagan face slow bookings this summer as tourists cut discretionary spending despite steady visitor numbers, according to Sagebrush Tours' co-owner.

  • On July 23, Tourism Kelowna spokesperson Lindsay Kelm said passenger volumes show a steady summer, despite Sagebrush Tours' co-owner reporting slow wine excursions.
  • Travel advisories after the 2023 Grouse Complex wildfires have dampened discretionary wine tour bookings.
  • Destination British Columbia data shows U.S. overnight arrivals fell 9.6% and overall July arrivals dropped 4.5%.
  • Fraser said wine tour bookings have 'peaks and valleys' with last-minute reservations making demand hard to gauge.
  • Shifting tourism patterns are prompting Paula Quinn to suggest downtown must adapt, as 'the days of opening at nine and closing at five' may need reevaluation.
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Penticton Western NewsPenticton Western News
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'They're doing stuff for free': Slow tourism for Okanagan, despite steady visitors

While airport traffic and hotel bookings show tourists are travelling to Kelowna this summer, whether they're spending money there is another story

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Global News broke the news in Toronto, Canada on Friday, August 15, 2025.
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