Manic Monday | It's like a bell rang.....

The change is palpable; you can feel it, see it, almost taste it everywhere you travel in the region at the moment. Lawns are brilliant green and trimmed to perfection; store fronts and attractions are painted and sparkling; the trappings of winter have faded away and the anticipation of the arrival of our summer guests has begun. The May long weekend has for decades marked the unofficial start of the summer season in the Thompson Okanagan and this year is no exception.

This past week as we continued our regional 2016 Roadshows entitled "Driving Tourism Together" with presentations in West Kelowna, Kelowna, Clearwater, Kamloops and Merritt it was evident that every corner of our region poised and ready for a record breaking 6 months.  We have one more presentation confirmed for Vernon on May 31st and are waiting to confirm a date in Salmon Arm.  Here is a short video clip of our Roadshows this past week and I want to thank all of the communities that have hosted us and stakeholders that have taken the time to meet with us.

After traveling and participating in the Roadshow presentations with members of our TOTA team I could not help be struck of how truly proud I am of the entire team at TOTA – the enthusiasm, commitment, and savvy knowledge they bring each and every day to our Association and industry is very inspiring.  Within our presentation that feature highlights of the importance of collaboration and partnerships; the need to push forward focusing clearly on specific goals for the future and understanding where we can be as a region by 2022 if we continue to employ a few basic principles:

• Think Strategically

  • We will measure all of our activities against the goals presented in the Thompson Okanagan 10-Year Regional Tourism Strategy. By continuing to align our actions against the expressed outcomes of the strategy we believe we can realize a strong, vibrant and sustainable tourism industry.

• Communicate and Inform

  • We will connect with our stakeholders through all of our various mediums.  It is critical to make sure you have the information you need to move your business forward - stay informed by connecting with your tourism partners including Destination Canada, Destination British Columbia, your local DMO, Sector Alliances and of course the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association.

• Lead by Example

  • We will employ best practices, strive to create remarkable experiences, engage your staff and ensure they understand their important part in the visitor experiences and let us know your successes so that we can all celebrate our exceptional stakeholders.

• Leave no one behind

  • We are all better together no matter the size or scope of your tourism offering. If we have unquestionable service delivery at every touch point in the guest experience we will be the destination of choice for our visitors for years and decades to come.

Here is to an outstanding year ahead as we all work together for our collective successes!

Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO