(File photo - Buskers Festival performers in action)

By Dylana Milobar

THINGS TO DO IN KAMLOOPS

Tourism numbers up for Kamloops, with more visitors expected during remaining summer events

Jul 25, 2019 | 5:19 PM

KAMLOOPS — Halfway through the summer season, a boost in visitor numbers has Tourism Kamloops excited for the coming months.

With a near 6 per cent increase in tourist visits, plans to grow interest in Kamloops have apparently been working.

Events like the Buskers Festival, Ribfest, and Hot Nite in the City have only been helping keep Kamloops as a growing vacation destination.

Compared to a year ago, Tourism Kamloops CEO Beverley DeSantis says the tourism scene in Kamloops midway through summer has grown.

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“We’re seeing an increase in overall tourism from January to June of about 5.8 per cent, which is really encouraging.”

Kamloops is a primary stop for people travelling to popular tourist destinations like Vancouver, Banff or Jasper. However, DeSantis says if travellers find hotels in those places too expensive, Kamloops will also be passed over.

“So Tourism Kamloops is really concentrating on building our own destination that is not as dependent on the Vancouver and Banff traffic. So we’re really pushing our golf, and our wine and our mountain bike, and our winter season.”

Where the city’s visitors come from has changed somewhat. DeSantis says many tourists are finding their way to Kamloops from Australia, and various Asian countries, including India.

“So there is a lot of opportunities that kind of offset those threats that can really impact tourism in our area.”

Along with promoting the city to out-of-town visitors, Tourism Kamloops has been working to show local residents what exactly the Tournament Capital has to offer.

By taking residents out for excursions, the Luv’n the Loops tours are designed to do just that, and DeSantis says participants get a chance to try local experiences they might not have had before.

“It gives people that opportunity- whether you’re working at a gas station or at a supermarket, or at a restaurant, that you’re able to tell people when they’re a guest and ask ‘ what is there to do today?'” She says, “The last thing we want to hear is, “oh not much.”

Day-to-day attractions are complemented by a full schedule of summer events throughout the city.

This afternoon, downtown was abuzz with the start of the Merchant’s Market.

“It’ll be like that throughout the weekend,” notes Kamloops Central Business Improvement Association Executive Director, Carl DeSantis. “And we expect everybody in the city to come down here throughout downtown to explore all the different sales, and everything that everyone is offering for them.”

Set up was also underway today to transform Riverside Park for the kick off of the 2019 Kamloops Buskers Festival.

“This morning, I talked to people from eastern Canada, who came here and detoured to Kamloops specifically for the Buskers Festival,” Exclaims DeSantis, “So they’re really excited to see the acts, and so are we actually.”

Between Buskers, Music in the Park, downtown block parties, RibFest, and Hot Nite, the city has no shortage of entertainment options for the rest of the summer.