Manic Monday | We are Already Winners......We Call this Place our Home!
This year has started out with some very exciting news for our region.
On the heels of our November announcement that the Thompson Okanagan has been certified as a Biosphere Sustainable Tourism Destination, the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) announced on January 16th that the Thompson Okanagan is one of three finalists for their Tourism for Tomorrow Awards in the category of Destination.
Other finalists in this award category include the Riverwind Foundation in Jackson Hole and Corporacion Parque Arvi located Medellin, Columbia, who we are honoured to share this opportunity with.
The 14th annual WTTC Tourism for Tomorrow awards recognizes a total of 15 tourism stakeholders in 5 award categories showcasing best practices and high standards acknowledging tourism providers that recognize the importance of balancing, people, profits and environmental concerns with industry.
As quoted in the WTTC Press release:
“Sustainable growth is one of the sector’s most pressing challenges and a strategic priority for WTTC. The Tourism for Tomorrow Awards showcase the very best examples of how our sector is addressing this challenge and contributing in a positive way to the sustainable development goals and a better world for all. I congratulate all the finalists who are playing such a significant role in ensuring the future sustainability of Travel & Tourism, and encourage the whole sector to learn from their best practice”. Gloria Guevara, President & CEO of WTTC.
Early travel estimates for 2017 indicate that once again the industry worldwide saw growth in travel of over 4%, numbers that are anticipated to continue well into the 2020's and beyond. Now more than ever we need to ensure our tourism assets are protected and managed for the future such that they can continue to be enjoyed by our visitors and our residents.
The WTTC will be sending an expert judge into our region in February for review and adjudication and the winners will be announced in April.
On behalf of the all of us at TOTA, we thank each and every stakeholder for your ongoing commitment to Tourism Sustainability and Responsible Tourism Practices!
It would be outstanding for our region to win this award, however, we know we are all very big winners just calling this region our home.
Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO
