How Valley Vibes became the Columbia Valley’s go-to shuttle

What started as a solution to a local transportation gap has grown into one of the Valley’s most energetic tourism ventures

— Photos courtesy of Valley Vibes Shuttle

When Christopher Genovese noticed visitors and locals struggling to find a safe ride home after dinners, weddings, and nights out in Invermere, he saw a risk to the community he’s called home for nearly 17 years. What began as a practical solution quickly turned into something much bigger: Valley Vibes Shuttle, a locally owned service built not just to move people, but to elevate their experience. While Genovese is the sole owner, his partner Chelsea Fields plays a key role behind the scenes.

Since launching, the business has grown at full throttle—adding buses, winning both the Tourism Innovation Lab Spark Program and New Business of the Year from the Columbia Valley Chamber of Commerce, and expanding partnerships across the region. With wedding-day reliability, festival energy, and even onboard karaoke transforming ordinary rides into unforgettable moments, Valley Vibes is strengthening the valley’s tourism ecosystem while keeping the experience proudly local. Genovese gave us a sneak peek into what’s driving the momentum, and what’s next for the growing company.

What inspired you to start Valley Vibes Shuttle, and what gap did you see in local transportation?

Honestly, we started because we noticed a trend. There was no transportation in Invermere and our friends' businesses were feeling it. We thought logically, how many times are you going to visit a destination if you can't even get a ride home from the bar or even dinner and drinks? We are very community-based people and have been a part of the community for nearly 17 years. It is our home and we did not want to see tourism, growth or the general love of the area decline.

How has the business evolved since your early days, and what’s been your biggest learning curve?

Well, it has evolved fast! From having the Idea to picking up our first bus, it was only around 2 months! Chelsea and I flew one way to Vancouver to pick up the bus sight unseen and drive it 9 hours home.

Licensing and understanding logistics and bookings felt linear, but all hell broke loose with around 70% of our season's bookings coming in around April while I was visiting family in Australia. We immediately acquired our second bus and were able to keep up with demand, which was so fulfilling. We are just about to purchase our third shuttle to keep up with 2026 bookings.

What makes Valley Vibes different from other shuttle or transport services in the region?

We are proudly locally owned and operated and have been a part of tourism and entertainment for the last five years. I am a partner in our local award-winning distillery, Taynton Bay Spirits. I spent five years in distillery festivals, markets and shows selling and entertaining people, I loved it!

I am a dual trade mechanic and used to build competition sound systems in my younger years, and I was so excited to bring those vibes to our shuttles. So we are much more than just transport, we provide an experience. It's not just a ride, It's a Vibe!

Congratulations on winning the Tourism Innovation Lab Spark Program! Can you tell us a bit about what that entailed, and what the win means to you and your team?

Thank you so much! The Spark Program brought together tourism ideas from across the region and I pitched an expanded vision for Valley Vibes. Using our shuttles and a new booking platform to help visitors travel from places like Banff into the Columbia Valley while connecting them with local experiences.

Winning meant mentorship from tourism leaders, a small seed grant, and, just as important, validation that our vision for the Valley has legs. For myself and the drivers it felt like the community saying, “We see the potential in what you are building.” It gave us more confidence to invest and plan for growth. 

In what ways do you collaborate with local businesses, events, or tourism partners?

Collaboration is one of the more fun and exciting things to do for us as we network and grow. We work with wedding venues, planners, and local accommodations to move guests between ceremonies, receptions, and hotels. We move golf groups between courses and resorts. We run group shuttles for events and nights out, and we are developing more set products like brewery tours and Christmas party shuttles.

I actively stay in touch with local tourism groups and chambers and I am always looking for ways to plug Valley Vibes into existing events. One other thing that has been important for us is working with our local small group transportation company, they are doing a phenomenal job in the area and we work very closely together to make sure we are moving people around the Valley safely.

What’s one story from the road that really captures what Valley Vibes is all about?

I have to admit answering this makes me smile.

I am always trying to judge the vibe on board, what is it out of 10? If it is not 10, then how do we get there? I realised that "10" meant people on board laughing and enjoying themselves, but then I saw a moment that was 11!

A group on board knew every word to a song that came on board. The vibes skyrocketed and I knew, this is it, this is the moment memories are being made! Now, we all tend to know the chorus of popular songs but it is pretty awkward when a few people are left out. We had to have a group karaoke. I installed a computer and screens so I could bring those "11/10" moments to as many people as possible.

When you see a group singing as loud as possible, laughing, connecting and being in a moment they will never forget—I can tell you that is what it is all about.

What have been your proudest accomplishments so far as an entrepreneur?

This year we won New Business of the Year at the Columbia Valley Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence awards. Chelsea and I were really proud to be noticed by our community.

We are also extremely proud of our team of drivers, we have a commitment to make sure we are available for every trip and weddings are at the top of our list. It is hard to not feel the pressure of potentially adding stress to
a couple's most important day and the team crushed it.

Are you exploring new routes, technologies, or service ideas for 2026 and beyond?

Yes, we are trying to expand our services beyond the Valley while working with Destination BC and Travel Alberta. We really want any expansion into the Columbia Valley to come from locals and not from one of the huge corporate operators. We are planning to use AI for live language translation while being accessibility friendly as possible.

Is there anything else you would like to share?

I just want to say that Chelsea, myself and the team are having so much fun with this journey and looking forward to growing with the Valley.