There were good times -- and bad times -- during Lisanne Ballantyne's eight years as CEO of Tourism Kelowna.
Ballantyne, who will step down as Tourism Kelowna boss on March 27, helped the city become even more of an international tourism destination, saw the new Kelowna Visitor Centre built on the downtown waterfront, helped Kelowna win UNESCO City of Gastronomy status and attracted major events like the Canadian Country Music Awards and Memorial Cup.
In all, tourism is one of Kelowna's biggest economic drivers worth $2.4 billion a year -- right up there with other sectors like high technology, construction-real estate and retail-wholesale-trade.
However, there were also some dim spots.
A crackdown on short-term rentals like Airbnb and Vrbo combined with an overall slow economy meant the past two summers of tourism were soft.
It wasn't necessarily that fewer tourists came to Kelowna, but many of them didn't stay as long and didn't spend as much on eating out, activities and accommodation.
And the summer of 2023 was tragic with wildfires and smoke prompting a province-mandated travel ban that, while short-lived, cut Kelowna's summer tourism season short.
The Tourism Kelowna news release announcing Ballantyne's departure was scant on details.
It said: Ms. Ballantyne made the decision to resign following careful consideration and consultation with the board (of directors of Tourism Kelowna).
“Lisanne’s leadership, dedication, and collaborative spirit have left a lasting mark on our organization and community,” said Kelly Watt, chair of the Tourism Kelowna board of directors.
“On behalf of the Board, staff, and our industry partners, we extend our sincere gratitude for her many contributions and wish her every success in her future endeavours.”
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