Travel in and out of Okanagan remains strong for spring break amid border tensions – Okanagan [Video]

As spring break takes full swing, flights and travellers are flowing in and out of Kelowna, B.C., in high numbers.

Kelowna International Airport (YLW) is handling between 6,500 to 7,500 people daily, according to Sam Samaddar, the airport’s CEO. The airport is building on an already busy year, seeing a growth of about 10.5 per cent in the first two months of 2025 compared to last year, with expectations for a busy March ahead.

For many, travel plans this year may look a bit different. Ongoing tensions between the U.S. and Canada have led some to stay local or avoid the United States altogether, as a gesture of Canadian solidarity.

“Our Canadian carriers point of sale into the U.S., we’ve seen demand drop quite a bit, we’ve also seen people change their plans from going to the U.S. to going into the Mexico market for example,” said Samaddar.

However, travel to Canada remains …