Thompson Okanagan Ready to Welcome Visitors... Safely

It is encouraging to learn that indications from recent surveys, online traveler sentiment research, and direct one to one telephone canvassing strongly suggest a global desire for travel post "lockdown."

While some individuals may already be starting to take short trips and make regional travel plans, others are actively planning and preparing to continue to explore farther afield as soon as it is possible.

What I specifically see as the "encouraging" part of these findings, is that while we all continue to be concerned with health and safety for ourselves and others, we have not let fear prevent us from dreaming, planning and even beginning to take steps to once again connect with places and people all over the world.

Understanding this innate need for travel the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), representing over 200 CEO's and Company Presidents from major travel and tourism organizations globally, has been working to ensure that travellers ready to begin to experience the world again are directed to those areas where it is safe to do so.

SAFE TRAVELS, is a recently launched initiative by the WTTC recognizing regions, destinations, and areas who are at a minimum following the guidelines and protocols that developed by the WTTC for many sectors of the tourism industry. The Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association made an application us as region to be part of this program and because of the diligence of the Province of BC, the Provincial Health Authority, and Worksafe BC our protocols exceed those of the WTTC and we as a region have been approved to use this International Designation.

The Safe Travels branding is available for all communities in the Thompson Okanagan as part of the approval received by TOTA. There is no cost to participate in this initiative and you are able to apply your own branding to the logo.

Communities and DMOs can contact Ellen-Walker Matthews, Vice President of Market Stewardship, TOTA to learn more about using this branding as a message to travellers near and far that when it is time to come and when they are able to come, we are collectively providing the experiences and memories they are looking for, and we are doing so SAFELY.