As our peak tourism season comes to a close, the Tourism Kamloops BOLD Street Team is delighted to look back on a year filled with growth, connection, and meaningful interactions. We've had the privilege of engaging with visitors and locals alike, and we are excited to share a few of our wins.
At Tourism Kamloops, our primary visitor servicing goal is to increase meaningful interactions with both visitors and locals. Our conversations center around experiences in Kamloops. Whether it was recommending a scenic hike, a hidden gem restaurant, or a cultural event, we are dedicated to driving local visitation and supporting tourism in our community. Our team is committed to asking questions, understanding the unique interests and needs of our visitors, and offering tailored suggestions for things to do in our beautiful city.
THE TEAM
Thanks in part to funding from Canada Summer Jobs, we proudly provided employment to eight post-secondary students, including one practicum placement and two volunteers who were hired into seasonal positions. 50% of our team consisted of tourism students, providing them with valuable work experience in the industry. We also continued to mobilize our volunteer ambassadors for major events, whose enthusiasm and commitment were instrumental in enhancing the visitor experience.
NEW APPROACHES
This year we took our commitment to meaningful interactions to a whole new level. We almost doubled our hours of face-to-face engagement, with a staggering 1,467 hours of face-to-face support compared to 784 hours last year. This enabled us to engage with over 13,000 people this year, a significant increase from the 8,626 interactions we had last year.
Tourism Kamloops is dedicated to taking an innovative approach to visitor servicing and this summer we implemented several new strategies. Through a collaboration with Rocky Mountaineer and interacting with their guests on arrival, our team increased the amount of visitors we connected with on an average day from dozens to hundreds, evening out our ratio of local to visitor interactions to 50:50. During slow times, the BOLD Street Team also roamed high traffic areas to collect Net Promoter Scores (NPS) and gather valuable data for Tourism Kamloops’ operations.
LOOPS EXLOPER STATION
In mid-July we opened the Loops Explorer Station in Downtown Kamloops. Visitors, stakeholders and downtown businesses saw a high value in having a stationary space to connect with our Bold Street Team. Further to this, establishing a bricks and mortar presence in downtown Kamloops supported Tourism Kamloops’ goals in destination development. This included activating the space through live music multiples times a week and takeovers from local organizations, such as the Kamloops Film Society, Downtown Kamloops and Masala Fusion Meats. Our highest interaction platform this summer was setting up booths at major event such as The Buskers Festival and Ribfest and at Riverside Park, building on the success of this strategy from the past few years.
VISITOR SERVICING IN THE OFF-PEAK SEASON
After a strong summer, we are eager to continue creating meaningful interactions that make Kamloops a destination worth exploring. This fall, we continue to grow our volunteer ambassador program with more passionate locals to support engagement in the off peak season. Further to this, we consistently deliver digital visitor servicing through phone, email, social media and google. We will connect with accommodation and experience partners to ensure they are stocked with vacation guides, trail maps and Kamloops maps.
Though the sun may be setting on a successful summer in Kamloops, our visitor interactions and engagement are maintaining full steam ahead.
With any questions about our Bold Street Team or Volunteer Ambassador program, please connect with Amy Ulrich amyu@tourismkamloops.com
