Looking back on changes in Penticton tourism

There’s little doubt the face of tourism in Penticton has changed.

“It used to take you an hour-and-a-half to get from Skaha Lake beach to Okanagan Lake,” said John Vassilaki, talking about the days in the ‘70s and ‘80s when Penticton had four nightclubs — one of them being Tiffany’s, owned by his family — and cruising the strip between the two beaches was one of the main activities for the young crowds visiting the city.

Those days have been gone for a while, and as The Mule closed its doors for the final time on the weekend, Penticton will have no nightclubs.

Related: Bidding farewell to The Mule

“There were so many tourists here,” said Vassilaki. “There was a lot of movement on our downtown streets.

“There was so much for them to do at that time. We had the game farm, we had four full-time nightclubs, there were all the restaurants. We made it tourist friendly to come to Penticton. We didn’t charge them for everything.”

Vassilaki said Osoyoos has become more tourist-friendly than Penticton, and Kelowna is also luring tourists away.

“There is stuff for them (tourists) to do everywhere, except here,” said Vassilaki. “After Sept. 1 (The Mule’s last night), we won’t have any nightlife period.”

Related: Web poll- Are you disappointed The Mule is closing

Thom Tischik, executive director for Travel Penticton, said it’s more of a different group of tourists, doing different things with their time here.

“Things evolve,” he said. “People are still coming in and enjoying what we have, maybe in a different way.”

That includes families, he said, different from the crowd that was once attracted to Penticton as a party town. Modern visitors, he continued, maybe a bit more subdued, but still have disposable income burning a hole in their pockets.

Wineries and wine tourism, for example, have proliferated since the ‘80s, and there is better access to adventure experiences, like world-class climbing experiences at Skaha Bluffs.

Related: Big changes coming to Penticton nightclub

“People are still coming in and enjoying what we’ve got, maybe just a bit more active,” said Tischik. “The KVR Trail has been a great addition and just the different kind of activities available in the area are bringing a different crowd.

“It certainly has made Penticton evolve and mature and become current with the times.”

An example of that is the Penticton Peach Festival, which has just completed its 71st year.

Almost 30 years ago, it was a combination of Peachfest and a provincially-sponsored music festival that brought a huge crush of people to the city, ending in a riot that spread through the core of the city.

Related: Decades don’t diminish memories of riot

“Peachfest has gone from being that super party atmosphere to a more mature, family-oriented type of event, which is awesome,” said Tischik, noting that the festival must have seen many changes over the more than seven decades it has been running. “That would be something that has certainly seen an evolution.

“Trends change, music changes. It’s just the way life is.”