Tourism Revelstoke is keeping things local by enticing visitors to explore downtown stores and restaurants with the Downtown Dollars program.
Launched as a pilot project in 2024, the program now includes over 20 restaurants, businesses and services in Revelstoke. Over $4,000 has been redeemed since the launch and Tourism Revelstoke estimates nearly $7,000 additional dollars have been spent in Revelstoke.
What started as an incentive to book directly with accommodation properties has morphed into prizes for friendly social media challenges, survey reimbursements and bonuses in welcome packages.
“It’s a fun way to reward participation while keeping money circulating locally,” Meghan Tabor, Tourism Revelstoke executive director said.
What are Revelstoke Downtown Dollars?
Acting as a sort of local currency, Revelstoke Downtown Dollars can be redeemed at any participating business whether it’s a restaurant, museum, gear shop or more. Recipients pay with the voucher as if cash and participating businesses are reimbursed by Tourism Revelstoke.
Funded through Tourism Revelstoke’s portion of the Municipal and Regional District Tax, also known as the hotel tax, Revelstoke Downtown Dollars puts visitor-generated taxes directly into the community.
Visitors aren’t the only ones who can take advantage of the Revelstoke Downtown Dollars program. Along with businesses posting small challenges to earn Downtown Dollars, Tourism Revelstoke’s Stoke Squad has also handed out vouchers at local events and markets throughout the year.
“When locals engage with Tourism Revelstoke programs, they’re helping build a more connected, sustainable and community-driven destination,” Tabor said.
Tourism Revelstoke will be highlighting its Resident’s Talk Tourism Survey in 2026, looking to gain insight in how residents are interacting with the tourism industry and what focus they want tourism efforts to take in the coming years. The survey is available year-round, with Tourism Revelstoke pushing the survey every two years as a benchmark.
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