Tsútswecw Provincial Park in Electoral Area F of Columbia Shuswap Regional District. (Photo credit: Viktoria Haack)

By Pete McIntyre

Based on online data

Richmond tops the Shuswap and Okanagan for most-loved destination in Canada

Feb 16, 2022 | 4:15 PM

Richmond B.C. has come out on top in a ranking of the 50 most-loved destinations in Canada.

The Lower Mainland city was cited for its air travel, being the home of Vancouver International Airport.

The rankings were part of the Tourism Sentiment Index’s Leading Places: The 50 Most-Loved Destinations in Canada for 2021 report.

Kelowna was fourth with the Okanagan in 11th, both for the wineries and vineyards.

The Shuswap was 6th, with fishing listed as that area’s top driver.

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Surrey B.C. was the 12th most-loved destination for its restaurants and dining, with Vernon in 36th, with wildlife viewing cited as the top attraction.

Tourism Sentiment Index says it conducted an intensive study of 1.6 billion online conversations and content pieces publicly available in 2021 about 21,330 global destinations to identify the 50 most-loved destinations.

“Tourism Sentiment Score is a measure of a destination’s ability to generate positive word of mouth about its tourism offering. It is an aggregate score that focuses solely on online conversations and content that reference or affect a potential traveller’s perceptions of a destination’s tourism offering,” the index’s website stated.

Officials in the Shuswap are pleased with their ranking at #6.

“As a destination-marketing organization, we are thrilled to see the Shuswap recognized so highly amongst other tourism communities from around the country,” said Morgen Matheson, Team Leader Tourism and Film.

“This report shows that the Shuswap offers a unique, four-season experience that clearly inspires affection in the hearts of our guests,” she adds.

Click here to view the index.