Kelowna and Nanaimo's award-winning love affair

Kelowna adores Nanaimo for its Pacific ocean beaches, mid-island fun and, of course, Nanaimo bars.

Nanaimo is besotted with Kelowna for 100-kilometre-long Okanagan Lake, wineries and skiing at Big White.

It's that kind of regional tourism cross-promotion that led to Kelowna International Airport and Nanaimo Airport sharing the 'best in airport partnerships' award from Airport Council International.

The award recognizes airports that work together on marketing, public relations and customer experience initiatives.

In the case of Kelowna and Nanaimo, there was a 'Perfect Pairing' campaign touting the recreational lifestyles, wine regions and golf of both destinations.

Kelowna and Nanaimo's success is all tied into Pacific Coastal Airlines launching daily flights between the two cities in September 2023.

The two airports collaborated with Pacific Coastal to ensure the service would be successful by encouraging people to travel for vacation, business and visiting friends and relatives.

Tourism Kelowna, Tourism Cowichan and BC Wine Growers also got in on the act.

"Regional tourism is essential for the economic growth and cultural vibrancy of our communities," said Kelowna airport CEO Sam Samaddar.

"Our collaboration...highlights the importance of partnerships in promoting regional travel. The regional connectivity provided by Pacific Coastal Airlines makes it easier and more convenient for residents and visitors to explore our beautiful province."

Pacific Coastal is the only direct, non-stop air link between Kelowna and Nanaimo.

And, the airline does it daily (except Saturdays) with the 19-seat Beechcraft 1900 turboprop plane.

Pacific Coastal also flies from Kelowna to Victoria (which is 113 kilometres south of Nanaimo), Kelowna to Comox (which is 119 kilometres north of Nanaimo) and between Kelowna and Prince George.

"We are dedicated to serve as a gateway to the incredible attractions and hidden gems our region has to offer," said Nanaimo Airport president Dave Devana.

"As we continue to expand our routes and enhance passenger experience, we're committed to working with our industry partners to boost regional tourism."

The Kelowna-Nanaimo flight is one hour, whereas driving (and taking the ferry from either Horseshoe Bay (North Vancouver) or Tsawwassen (south of Vancouver) to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island takes at least six-and-a-half hours.

"Working with airport partners is an important aspect of the tourism industry as we develop and introduce new routes and services, which link visitors to the city," said Tourism Kelowna CEO Lisanne Ballantyne.

"(We) look forward to exciting changes ahead with the (Kelowna) airport expansion and increased routes and services."

There are direct non-stop flights from Kelowna to 19 destinations, including a new daily to Los Angeles, reintroduced flights to Seattle and flights to sunspots like Phoenix, Las Vegas, Los Cabos, Cancun, Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan for the winter.

"By working together, we are able to enhance connectivity between our destinations and expand opportunities for storytelling to attract new visitors and support economic growth for local businesses," said Kenzie Knight of Tourism Cowichan.