Airline Industry Working Hard to Instill Confidence
Recently I received two videos, one from Air Canada and the other created by the Kelowna International Airport (YLW), outlining what to expect at airports and on flights and what each of them is respectively doing to ensure passengers’ safety and comfort. These videos assist in providing a thorough understanding of the protocols in place for flying during the COVID-19 pandemic and may help to alleviate some of the stress and anxiety that people are feeling.
I encourage you to take the time to watch these videos and, if you have the ability to do so, please share them on your own social channels.
The airline industry has been working tirelessly to instill confidence in travellers to book flights and once again travel by air.
We are fortunate that many airlines have indicated they see the Thompson Okanagan region as one of the first areas in Canada where air travel will resume more quickly than other locations. We have already seen increased capacity from Vancouver, Calgary, and Edmonton, and recently Air Canada reintroduce direct flights between Toronto and Kelowna, which other airlines are now looking to do. These are important routes for our region, however they will only continue if they are supported and the bookings are there.
Without question, it will take time before many people are comfortable flying and it is important that we help by providing information on the steps airlines and airports are taking in order to instill confidence in travellers.
Recently I received two videos, one from Air Canada and the other created by the Kelowna International Airport (YLW), outlining what to expect at airports and on flights and what each of them is respectively doing to ensure passengers’ safety and comfort. These videos assist in providing a thorough understanding of the protocols in place for flying during the COVID-19 pandemic and may help to alleviate some of the stress and anxiety that people are feeling.
I encourage you to take the time to watch these videos and, if you have the ability to do so, please share them on your own social channels.
The long term health of the airline industry is critical to tourism and we thank all of our airline and airport partners for the many steps they are taking to ensure the health and wellbeing of their guests, who ultimately become our guests.
Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO
Regional Tourism Pledge NEW VIDEO
Resiliency at the Heart of the Thompson Okanagan Regional Pledge
In November 2019 we launched the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Pledge entitled "Seven Affirmations for Seven Generations" drawing from rich indigenous values
1 | TRUE ROOTS
2 | TREAD LIGHTLY
3 | GOOD NEIGHBOUR
4 | TRAVEL SAFELY
5 | LIVE IN HARMONY
6 | CHOOSE LOCAL
7 | EDUCATE OTHERS
SIGN THE PLEDGE
TOTABC.ORG/PLEDGE
We envisioned the Regional Pledge as a critical step in reaffirming all that we hold dear. Helping to remind every one of us that we are but visitors and caretakers of this land, whether we call it home, spend our lives here, or merely chance upon it for a moment in time. Impressing upon us the importance of thoughtfulness, mindfulness, kindness, and care in all that we do.
Little did we know how quickly our world could change, how instantly our lives would be thrown into chaos, and how, in what felt like merely days, our health and well-being whether personal, mental, or financial would be put in grave danger. We have been through a very dark moment in history, one we were not fully prepared for, and by and large did not anticipate.
Today, as we begin to slowly and cautiously awaken from these weeks of lockdown, begin to open our lives back up, start engaging with neighbors and friends from near and eventually from far; these Seven Affirmations are more important than they have ever been. Take time to read them, think about their meaning, to understand, and appreciate how they can guide us forward and to commit to them. We hope you will share them with those you encounter and ask them to also make a commitment to these values, as we all work toward a new way of life and a new way of living together safely.
7 Affirmations for 7 Generations | Tourism Resiliency Video
We knew these words were important in November 2019 when we launched the Pledge, but today we know they truly speak directly to the future more than ever. These seven affirmations provide clarity, direction, kindness, and calm. They are a thoughtful way forward after a very difficult journey.
True Roots, Tread Lightly, Be a Good Neighbour, Travel Safely, Live in Harmony, Choose Local, Educate Others
National Tourism Week
NATIONAL TOURISM WEEK
#BCTourismMatters
May 24th - 31st, we celebrate National Tourism Week in Canada, and this year more than ever we need to highlight the importance of our tourism industry in the Canadian economy.
The trickle-down effect of tourism businesses and operators unable to open or struggling to remain solvent has a tremendous impact in our Thompson Okanagan communities both rural and urban. In this region alone, Tourism is the number one employer, and our largest economic driver; when it falters or worse when it fails the impacts and implications are widespread and far-reaching.
Not just this week, but going forward, we need to celebrate all of those businesses that have pivoted or are working hard to adapt to the new rules and guidelines for tourism. We need to support our stakeholder businesses small and large as they try desperately to survive, and we need to adopt and to commit to shopping local and supporting Provincial and Canadian companies in order to preserve and protect each other through the challenging weeks that still lay ahead.
We can recover from this, we will recover from this but it takes all of us coming together to understand the value and importance of tourism, support those that are trying hard to begin to provide activities and services, and in the days to come, welcome visitors back to our region.
National Tourism Week....you can make a difference #BCTourismMatters
Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO
BC Tourism Resiliency Network
New Program to Support Tourism Industry
For most of our tourism industry, this is the 8th week of our provincial shut down as we all do our best to follow the direction of Health Minister Adrian Dix and Dr. Bonnie Henry in response to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Over the initial few weeks, our team at the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) has been doing our best to reach out to personally connect with over 800 industry stakeholders to understand your issues and concerns and to feed those up daily to the Provincial and Federal Governments. Through these conversations with you, It has become clear that many stakeholders need support in navigating the various assistance programs that are available, where they are eligible, and what steps they need to take to obtain the many opportunities for relief or benefits.
Together with the British Columbia Regional Tourism Secretariat representing the 5 Regional Destination Management Organizations (RDMO) in the Province and our strong partners at the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, go2HR, Indigenous Tourism BC, Tourism Industry Association of BC, Community DMOs, and Destination BC, we are activating a new Tourism Program for the industry this week. This work will see our organization at TOTA pivoting our efforts to provide the one on one direct support we have heard industry asking for.
As part of the introduction to this initiative, TOTA will be hosting a Webinar TODAY, MONDAY, APRIL 27th at 2:00 p.m. that will provide tourism stakeholders in the Thompson Okanagan with information and details on how our team has been preparing to work to assist you and the next steps in how to participate in this new program.
REGISTER FOR today's informational TOTA Tourism Resiliency Webinar
On behalf of myself, our board of Directors, and our entire TOTA team I would like to take a moment to thank both the Provincial Minister, the Honourable Lisa Beare and Federal Minister, the Honourable Melanie Joly for their tireless efforts to find the relief assistance necessary to provide and protect our Tourism Industry today and for the future.
Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO