Naramata’s New Multilingual Audio Tours Speak to the World
Discover Naramata launches GPS-guided audio tours for visitors to
play, pause, and explore this unique area in BC’s South Okanagan
Discover Naramata, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the community of Naramata in British Columbia’s South Okanagan, has introduced a series of twelve GPS-guided audio tours, including three that have been translated into multiple languages. These new audio guides are a welcome addition to the Okanagan Valley’s tourism offerings. They create accessible opportunities to explore Naramata’s wine region, enriching the visitor experience and encouraging travellers to learn about the area — from agriculture and gardens to impactful residents and local wildlife — in addition to its renowned wine scene.
“GPS-guided audio tours are like podcasts: they tell a story and lead visitors through the region,” explains Cynthia Enns, Discover Naramata’s president. “From cycling on the Kettle Valley Railway, discovering Naramata village’s charming garden lanes, or understanding wine terroir when driving across the breathtaking Naramata Bench, our visitors now have a local guide wherever they go.”
Travellers can stroll a Night Time Magic Walking Tour of Naramata’s dramatic dark skies, or learn about the unique climatic, geological and cultural factors contributing to local wines during the Wine Geeks Only: Naramata Bench Terroir Driving Tour. Families can follow the Wonderland: Children’s Village Walking Tour or Farm to Plate Agri-tourism Trail Tour — proof that wine country holds adventures accessible to everyone.
Enns is proud that the new audio guides promote so-called slow travel, a more sustainable form of tourism. “The tours have a light impact on the community because they encourage people to slow down and enjoy the Naramata way of life. It’s a deeply enriching experience.”
The GPS-activated audio tours are free mobile-device downloads through the VoiceMap app. Visitors just select, download, head to the starting point, and press play — satellite GPS technology does the rest. A virtual tour option in the VoiceMap app plays the tours as podcasts, for “armchair” virtual travellers.
Since slightly less than 70 per cent of British Columbians call English their mother tongue (67.1 per cent, according to 2021 StatsCan data), Enns says that enabling tourists to participate in active tours in multiple languages was a priority. Three of the audio tours have been translated into the following languages: Cantonese, French, German, Mandarin and Punjabi.
The English audio tours are delightfully narrated by two popular local voices: retired CBC Radio veteran Marion Barschel, and Peach City Community Radio host and local historian Craig Henderson. Penticton-based Roche wine owner and winemaker Penelope Roche recorded the French guides. Other Okanagan residents translated and recorded the multilingual versions, including Lily Jin (Mandarin), Faye Wai (Cantonese), Arnica Rowan (German) and Saira Sangha (Punjabi).
“I translated and recorded a magic-themed night-time walking tour, the detailed wine terroir driving tour, and a wildlife biking tour, all into Punjabi,” says Penticton resident Saira Sangha. “It was so much fun — I hope my community enjoys exploring the Naramata Bench with me as their guide.”
Community groups and expert voices pitched in to help create and verify tour content: a wildlife biologist advised on the Wild Things Biking Tour, a local landscaper reviewed the Secret Gardens Tour and Naramata Bench Wineries Association provided vineyard data for tours such as the
Wine Geeks Only Tour of the Bench.
To view the full list of audio tours, which range in duration from 30 to 60 minutes each, visit discovernaramata.com/audio-
Financial support for this project was provided by the Province of British Columbia through the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport.
We gratefully acknowledge that we live, work, learn and play on the beautiful, ancestral, unceded territory of the Sylix People.
About Naramata
Naramata, a picturesque community located in British Columbia’s South Okanagan, is renowned for its laid-back atmosphere, beautiful lake views, and inviting beaches. The surrounding Naramata Bench is a stunning agricultural and geological landscape, home to world-class wineries and a vibrant culinary scene. Visitors from major urban centres across Canada, as well as wine aficionados from around the globe, are drawn to its renowned vineyards and exceptional local cuisine. The charming village of Naramata, located at the end of a winding country road, offers a welcoming retreat for all who visit. discovernaramata.co
Media release and images provided by Morgan Sommerville, Serena PR.
