Highway 97 tourism centre in Summerland, B.C. up for sale

Reflecting changes in how people travel, the Summerland Visitor Centre on 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.

“We are excited to work with the Summerland Chamber of Commerce as we step into this bright future together,”  Summerland Mayor Doug Holmes said.

“We all know Summerland has much to offer and we will continue to grow our local tourism market to profile the community as a destination of choice for the travelling public.”

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In the 1990s, when the original arrangement between the Chamber and District was implemented, the travelling public was still reliant on roadside wayfinding services to plan and guide their services.

Summerland staff said in today’s visitor economy, smartphones, travel apps, user reviews and social media have grown in popularity with their ability to offer 24-hour access to real-time travel information.

“In response, an exciting new vision has emerged where visitor services will be provided in Summerland’s vibrant downtown arts and business district in order to draw motorists into the community and expose visitors to unique business offerings and events, as well as the arts, culture and history of the area,” reads a press release.

“The Chamber is branding its new approach “Destination Summerland”, which will accompany future marketing and communications.”

Re/Max real estate is managing the sale of the highway land and building, which will be advertised in the local newspapers according to regulatory requirements.

Until the sale is completed, residents and the travelling public can continue to use the services offered on location.