Reflecting changes in how people travel, the Summerland Visitor Centre on Highway 97 is being sold. Highway 97 is being sold.
The Summerland Chamber of Commerce, which owns the building, and the District of Summerland, which owns the land, have agreed to put the centre and land up for sale.
The chamber will use its portion of the sale to relocate into a new downtown location and the district will earmark its proceeds for tourism-related ventures.
Mayor Doug Holmes of Summerland expressed excitement about collaborating with the Summerland Chamber of Commerce for the future.
Summerland's Mayor Doug Holmes expressed eagerness to work with the Chamber of Commerce to increase tourism in the area.
When the original agreement between the Chamber and District was made in the 1990s, travelers still relied on roadside services to plan and guide their trips.
According to Summerland staff, in today’s visitor economy, smartphones, travel apps, user reviews, and social media are popular for offering 24-hour access to real-time travel information.
A press release stated that visitor services will move to Summerland’s downtown arts and business district to attract motorists and showcase the community's business offerings and events, as well as arts, culture, and history.
The Chamber is calling its new approach “Destination Summerland”, which will be used for future marketing and communications.
The sale of the highway land and building is being managed by Re/Max real estate and will be advertised in local newspapers as required by regulations.
Residents and the traveling public can continue to use the services at the current location until the sale is completed.
