Vernon is in the big leagues when it comes to tourism.
FlightNetwork has named 20 of the world’s best tourism organizations for 2017, and Tourism Vernon is 18th.
“It’s pretty awesome,” said Ange Chew, the City of Vernon’s tourism manager.
“It says what we’re doing is right. Just because you’re small doesn’t mean you can’t be leading edge.”
Among the other 20 tourism organizations profiled by FlightNetwork, an online travel agency, are New York City, Wyoming, Jamaica, Stockholm, Aruba, Nova Scotia, Slovenia and Greenland.
The 2017 list has been compiled by writer Courtney McCaffrey.
“The beautiful town of Vernon might be small, yet it is filled with access to more nature than most people can imagine. There are 100 lakes within the span of a one-hour drive. There are five provincial parks, and a champagne powder ski hill that remains the third largest in British Columbia,” says McCaffrey.
“Not only does Tourism Vernon manage to showcase this information, they do so across a number of mediums. Either through the Vernon visitor information centre, inquiries via phone or through social media, Tourism Vernon maintains an open line of communication with all visitors, which rivals many other bureaus. Vernon might be the oldest community in the Okanagan, but its board is certainly keeping up-to-date with the times.”
Chew insists Tourism Vernon’s success comes from a strong relationship with partners and a consistent branding message.
She anticipates the recognition from FlightNetwork will bolster Vernon’s prominence within the tourism sector.
“It gives us more credibility,” she said.