KELOWNA — Wells Gray Tours has been a member of the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce for the past 18 years, but it says it may reconsider its membership if the Chamber continues booking tours from foreign companies.
“We’re speaking out because it isn’t just us, all the travel and tour businesses in Kelowna are being impacted by this,” says Joan Niemeier, a marketing consultant with Wells Gray Tours.
The Kelowna Chamber has a ‘Travel and Learn’ program and is arranging a trip to Iceland. A bid went out to find the successful travel agencies, and Niemeier was upset when she learned that Collette Tours is one of the successful bidders because it is an American company.
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“They’re taking the business out of the community and out of the hands of people who they should be supporting,” says Niemeier.
But Caroline Grover, the Chamber’s CEO, argues the Chamber didn’t directly hire Collette Tours.
“The bid was won by a local company, which is Marlin Travel, and they chose to partner with Collette,” she says.
Grover says in order to be eligible to bid, the company must be a Chamber member. She also argues that Collette Tours is a Canadian company.
But on the travel operator’s website, its headquarters is listed as being in Rhode Island.
“We’re vested in the community, Collete Tours is not,” says Niemeier.
One travel agency, Maritime Travels, has decided not to renew its membership because of the Chamber’s practice of hiring foreign companies.
Wells Gray Tours says it may reconsider renewing its membership if the Chamber continues its current practice.
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