Tourism Kelowna - Queensway

[jwink]

On Monday Tourism Kelowna will be asking the City to push forward their desire to build their new office on the lakeshore at the end of Queensway. I don't think we need tourism facilities that close to the lakeshore. let alone one that big. (two story I believe).

[Dizzy1]

Any tourism office should be as close to the tourist centre as possible - for Kelowna, that part of downtown would be it - so it makes sense to put a tourism office where you want the tourists in the first place - more of a chance they'll spend some time in that area taking a breather in a great location and maybe even spend some money.

[cv23]

so it makes sense to put a tourism office where you want the tourists in the first place -.

Actually it makes the most sense to put a visitor information center where the visitors arrive and then provide them with area information directing them to where you want them to go/be.
As soon as the new hotel starts construction, later this year, the foot of Queensway location will become extremely difficult to find and difficult to access except on foot. Where will visitors who arrive by vehicle park with no easy accessible short term parking in the area? Once Queensway and Mill are closed to vehicular traffic by the new hotel only those walking along the promenade will be able to easily access or even find the booth.
The best location for a visitor information center is still the old McDonalds, end of Water, vacant corner lot of Pandosy/Harvey combined into one property. Plenty big enough for parking, downtown location, highly visible, right on highway, right on main route to South Pandosy shopping area and right on a main artery to the Mission area.

[dirtybiker]

Add to cv23's post, and there is already a vacant building there.

My personal thought though is the old KSS site, Harvey and Richter.

Room to build, from scratch, an easy in/out pull through parking area for RV's, and such. Visible from Harvey.
No need to have people not familiar with the area being sent on a magical mystery tour attempting to follow
a bunch of signs through the downtown core.
The building itself doesn't need to be a big extravagant showpiece, just a visually appealing and fairly
modest structure.

You want people to be at ease and feel welcomed, get the information that they desire and, move
on so as to make way for the next people to do the same.

Their main function is to provide information, not BE a destination!!!!

I believe they have lost sight of this.

[jamapple]

Yes, we all know how lovely the Queensway area can be. Just what we want prospective visitors to see first. Then, they'll just get back onto Harvey and skadattle out of town! I say put the new safe injection site there. Then, at least, it will be in close proximity to where the IV drug users are.
It boggles my mind how the business community always thinks if they don't put the tourist info booth right in the thick of things, or put a bypass, business would suffer. 2 fundamental mistakes. CV is right. Location needs to be where tourists enter town.

[LTD]

Why do we even need this In this day and age where everyone has a smart phone or some form of laptop device this seems like a complete waste of money I can honestly say in all the traveling ive done not once have I ever gone into a tourist info center . Its gonna be an empty building .

[phasyluck]

Ya it's not 1978 anymore, what's the point.

[cv23]

My personal thought though is the old KSS site, Harvey and Richter.

That would have also been a good site but it has already been sold

[Dizzy1]

Actually it makes the most sense to put a visitor information center where the visitors arrive and then provide them with area information directing them to where you want them to go/be.

And I disagree, creating more of a tourist trap in the first place will open their wallets more.

[cv23]

creating more of a tourist trap in the first place will open their wallets more.

The info center is not meant to be a tourist trap as it doesn't sell anything only provide directions to, and information about, the real tourist traps that rely on tourist dollars to survive.
Tourist don't frequent construction sites and that is exactly what the Queensway location will be for a year or two. After that tourists will not be able to get near it except on foot and most tourists on foot already know where they are going or where they want to be.
The old McDonalds is still very much downtown as well as being on two of the major transportation routes of the city.

[Dizzy1]

The info center is not meant to be a tourist trap as it doesn't sell anything only provide directions to, and information about, the real tourist traps that rely on tourist dollars to survive.

You're missing the point - having a tourist info booth in a nice business rich area will entice tourists to take a breather and spend money they normally may not have at the surrounding businesses where they may normally not have. The booth itself isn't a said tourist trap, but the location would be. The more money spent, the more the local economy thrives.

[dirtybiker]

You're missing the point

Right back atcha!

Tourists don't all travel by plane and rental car, if they do, the airport has all the info one would need.
Same as hotel tourists, every lobby has it's own info centre.

A tourist booth is for those in motorhomes or pulling trailers, campers, boats, other toys.
These vehicles need room to maneuver and are best served by keeping them on, or very near main arteries.
This does not include Water or Bernard in my mind, what a gong show that would be.

Frustrated tourists tend move on, not spend and give a less than glowing review of the area.

Let them pull in, find their own pertinent info to suit their plans so they can proceed to
get to where they're going and enjoy the living heck out of our fair region, dropping a
good amount of their hard earned dough and then going home to tell anyone who will listen
what a great time they had.

If I were to pull in a pusher diesel motor-coach with my runabout towed behind and followed signs
to an info booth that took me winding my way into our downtown core, I'd end up frustrated
and *bleep* at the absurdity of it and be attempting to find my way back to the road that took
me as far away as possible.....And everyone would hear about it!!!

[eliecer]

For the work they do, Tourism Kelowna should be shutting down. Just look how many beautiful pictures of our beaches and parks they are promoting on their website: http://www.tourismkelowna.com/do/lake/beaches-and-parks/

[maple leaf]

Using the Fintry Queen as the new Tourism /information building was put out there as an April fools joke.But it is not a bad Idea,and would make good use of it and save the area the City is currently planing to use to erect a big building on the water front.`Just dock the Queen right there on the water.Also would probably be cheaper than what this new building is going to cost us.

[deedub]

yea , I can see 10 or 20 diesel dually's pulling 30foot fifth wheels surrounded by a half dozen class A's and class C's pulling in to find out where the nearest full campsite is .