Okanagan: Wine business economic impact estimated at $87 million

(Pentictonwesternnews) - It’s no secret that the wine industry is big business in the Okanagan, but a recent report demonstrates just how big an economic driver the industry has become.

“We’ve known for a while now that wine touring is the largest specific motivator for travel to Penticton & Wine Country, aside from visiting friends and family,” said Tourism Penticton CEO Jessie Campbell. “And those travellers are coming no matter what marketing message we put out there.”

More than 800,000 visitors come to the region as wine tourists each year, accounting for 1,100 full time jobs, $4 million in taxes to government — all coming together for $87 million in direct economic impact and another $52 million in indirect economic impact.

The Okanagan Wine Tourism Industry Economic Impact Report was commissioned by the Okanagan Wine Festivals Society and the B.C. Wine Institute.

Drawing from over 1,000 interviews at wineries and wine festivals, the report builds a picture of the average wine tourist spending about $474 per person, per day, less than half of which is wine-related. Transportation, accommodation and other expenses account for $302 of the daily spending, with a further $97 spent on wine and another $75 spent at winery restaurants.

“These are certainly very impressive numbers considering that across British Columbia we have 217 wineries with the vast majority being small family-run operations that grow over 80 different varieties of grapes on some 9,800 acres,” said Okanagan-Coquihalla MP Dan Albas.

“This study really validates the importance of wine tourism to our local economy … directly yielding increases in the sale of wine, food and accommodation,” said Dr. Blair Baldwin, professor at Okanagan College and one of the authors of the report, along with Stephen Mellows.