Brighten your day with some good news from the Thompson Okanagan region, British Columbia, Canada, and around the globe.
Hi there,
Brighten your day with some good news about tourism and destination management from the Thompson Okanagan region, British Columbia, Canada, and around the globe.
Thompson Okanagan
Tourism Kelowna 2022 #exploreKelowna Creator Program
Tourism Kelowna launched the #exploreKelowna Creator Program to showcase the community from a local point of view. By leveraging stories and images being shared by fresh and diverse perspectives, Tourism Kelowna can connect with new audiences, fill content gaps, and provide third-party trip inspiration.
In an effort to promote responsible and sustainable tourism, Tourism Penticton wants visitors to enjoy a visit without fuel... almost by choosing local options for dining, wine, and more. In an article published in Vancouver is Awesome, Tourism Penticton promotes fuel free ways to enjoy the city this summer.
Big White Ski Resort has announced that it is investing millions in machinery, resort infrastructure, lift maintenance, staff accommodation upgrades, staff wages, and more to celebrate the resort's path to recovery.
In Summerland, BeadTrails is providing a fun and adventurous way to discover new places, hidden gems, and unique businesses across B.C. through their technology-driven platform. By visiting destinations on their online interactive map, travellers can collect unique beads that represent the story of the destination. By the end of their journey, travellers are left with a charming memory bracelet and a story to share.
Tourism Kamloops released an entertaining new video promoting the unique character of the city. Showcasing the people, the activities, events, and the beautiful landscape, this video highlights everything that visitors will enjoy in Kamloops.
Quench Magazine: How First Nations Helped Build the BC Wine Industry
Indigenous people in B.C. have played a pivotal role in laying the groundwork for today’s success. Last year, Quench Magazine published an article by Tim Pawsey about the history of Osoyoos Indian Band 's involvement in the B.C. wine industry.
The article features current Indigenous wine industry professionals contributing to the Okanagan Valley wine industry:
Justin Hall of Osoyoos Indian Band, head winemaker at Nk'Mip Cellars and first Indigenous head winemaker in North American (and possibly the world).
Robert Louie, former Westbank First Nation Chief and co-founder of Indigenous World Winery.
Eliana Bray of Kehewin Cree Nation, executive manager at Roche Wines and one of only a few Indigenous certified sommeliers.
The Province committed $21 million to help re-establish essential infrastructure and services, and sustain ongoing municipal and community-led recovery efforts in Lytton, BC. The new funding builds on past investments to support Lytton after a devastating wildfire destroyed most of the town during summer 2021.
The village site is expected to be ready for the next phases of rebuilding in the fall.
Xatśūll First Nation Hopes to Bring in Tourists with Opening of Old Restaurant near Williams Lake
Xatśūll First Nation is hoping to bolster tourism and visitation by investing in a multi-million dollar project that includes reopening a historic gas station and restaurant between Williams Lake and McLeese Lake on Highway 97.
In partnership with the Xatśūll Development Corporation, the band plans to spend $3.8 million for the site to reopen. It will also include a seasonal museum and electric car charging stations.
Salt Spring Coffee has introduced compostable packaging for their single use coffee pods. The Salt Spring Island based roastery has long been committed to maintaining fair to farmer relationships, ensuring sustainable organic farming practices, and sourcing only the best quality coffee beans.
Tourism Winnipeg Launches Community Focused Place Brand
Economic Development Winnipeg and Tourism Winnipeg introduced a new place brand called Winnipeg: Made From What’s Real. Economic Development Winnipeg and Travel Manitoba collaborated with community partners including the City of Winnipeg and used information from research, surveys, workshops and focus groups with Winnipeggers to create a brand that would truly resonate with the community's diverse backgrounds.
As part of the launch, Tourism Winnipeg collaborated with the following local companies to create the following:
Regenerative Tourism Invites Travellers to Get Their Hands Dirty
Smithsonian Magazine published an article about vacations that allow tourists to participate in conservation activities, such as habitat restoration, which are growing in popularity.
Read on to learn about the Future of Tourism Coalition's work to mitigate “extractive tourism”—the destruction of regions due to visitor overcrowding—and transform the tourism model to visibly benefit vulnerable places and people.
The article includes several examples of vacations that include conservation activities, such as habitat restoration, while sharing information about a region and its inhabitants.
