Managing residential tourism in British Columbia's South Okanagan

This study explores the impacts of residential tourism in British Columbia’s South Okanagan and seeks an understanding of how this particular branch of tourism has impacted the rural landscape. A great deal of residential tourists owned property in rural areas with upwards of 20% of the homes within the Agricultural Land Reserve occupied on only a part-time basis. Although previous literature (e.g. Moss, 2006) hypothesized that the appeal of picturesque landscapes promotes semi-permanent migration, this was only partially true for residential tourists in the South Okanagan. Built amenities combined with a favourable climate were the most frequently cited draws. Additionally, residential tourists were found to drive urban expansion into rural areas. Preventing this urban expansion was particularly difficult due to the regional governance structure found in the South Okanagan.