Kamloops is a British Columbian city, located in the south-central part of the province. The city is situated at the two branches of the Thompson River close to Kamloops Lake. Kamloops is the first city in British Columbia to become a Bee City. Based on the 2016 Canadian population census, the city of Kamloops has a population of 90,280, a land area of 299.23 square kilometers and a population density of 286.3 per square kilometers. The Kamloops metropolitan area has a population of 103,811, a land area of 5,668.64 square kilometers and a population density of 17.4 per square kilometers.
The city of Kamloops was founded in 1811 and incorporated in 1893. It is the Tournament Capital of Canada and therefore hosts more than 100 tournaments every year. The tournaments are held at world-class facilities. Examples of the tournaments include Tournament Capital Ranch, Tournament Capital Center, and Kamloops Bike Ranch.
The major contributing industries to Kamloops’ regional economy are tourism, healthcare, and education. In particular, tourism generates huge ROI for the city. For instance, the city gained a return of $449 million in 2017 from a $1.8 million destination marketing budget. Furthermore, tourism generates several kinds of income for the city such as wage earnings, rates and levies, business incomes and share earnings.
Kamloops is notable for its arts and culture. The region’s culture has grown in recent years to include live entertainment, fine arts, culinary arts, and sports. The city is home to several galleries including the Kamloops Art Gallery, the Kamloops Museum & Archives, Secwepemc Museum & Heritage Park, Western Canada Theater, and the Kamloops Symphony Orchestra.
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