Wineries are appearing so quickly throughout the South Okanagan that the tourism heavyweights are collaborating to move Osoyoos and Oliver onto the world stage. At a business seminar attended by both businesses and the interested public, Jo Knight from Destination Osoyoos introduced volunteers of a 7 member consortium who will work toward that goal. The South Okanagan Chamber of Commerce, Osoyoos Indian Band, Osoyoos/Oliver Developers, Oliver Tourism Association, Osoyoos/Oliver Culture & Arts, and Destination Osoyoos all presented the resources they bring to the table to help inform the community of their services and the mission the organization hopes to achieve.
” We need to communicate that Osoyoos has it all, and that collectively as a consortium we can brand ourselves as a destination and a place where people want to come to,” said Kurt Jansen of Bellstar
Downtown Osoyoos Waterfront
who was speaking for the developers who have invested millions in bringing Osoyoos centre stage.
With drive and passion for the product, these people can promote the accommodations, events, attractions, culture and natural beauty that will make the world sit up and take notice.
I believe, “tell them and they will come”, will hold true in this case. It may not happen overnight, but slowly the world is beginning to notice our little part of the Okanagan. With exceptional wineries like Nk’Mip, events like the Celebrity Wine Festival, and movies like Gunless & The Big Year being filmed on location it may not take very long for the discovery to happen.
Part of me is so proud of what we have here that I want to share in telling the world, but another part of me is torn. This valley is so peaceful and beautiful, that I wish it could stay untouched. We must step carefully so the tourism footprint stays green, then as a community we can happily share our gem with those who appreciate the rare beauty that Osoyoos is.
