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Accessing information

For travellers in the South Okanagan, the wifi hotspot at the tourist information kiosk in Trout Creek will be an important service.

For travellers in the South Okanagan, the wifi hotspot at the tourist information kiosk in Trout Creek will be an important service.

The hotspot, which was launched on Monday morning, is the first of its kind in the province.

While the Summerland Chamber of Economic Development and Tourism already has a hotspot in place at the Visitor Information Centre on Highway 97 near the north end of the community, no community has provided such access at a highway pullout.

The hotspot provides travellers from the south with a place to stop and get online access.

The startup page features information about visitor services and tourism-related businesses and activities in Summerland.

For visitors to the community, access to such information is important.

Many already travel with a laptop computer, a tablet or another electronic device to allow them access to the Internet.

Some will use the hotspot to send a quick message to let friends or relatives know they have arrived in town.

Many more will use it to find the immediate information they need as they look for accommodations and restaurants.

They will also need to find maps or directional information to get to the Kettle Valley Steam Railway, the hiking trails and the beaches.

Anyone who has ever driven around an unfamiliar community in an attempt to find visitor services should appreciate the need for the wifi hotspot and the information which will be made available.

While Summerland’s wifi hotspot is the first of its kind in B.C., other communities will likely follow suit.

Providing visitors with easy access to the information they need simply makes good sense.