Updates, webinars, events, opportunities to get involved, resources, and research to support Thompson Okanagan tourism professionals.
Midnight Musings from the TOTA Team
The Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) will hold the 2022 Annual General Meeting (AGM)on September 29, 2022, from 10 AM to 11 AM in Kelowna, followed by the Annual Golf Tournament at Black Mountain Golf Club. More details will be available shortly, please save the date!
Leading up to the AGM, the Board Election will take place as follows:
Monday, July 18: Early Call for Nominations
Friday, July 29: Official Call for Nominations Begins
Friday, August 12: Close of Nominations
Tuesday, August 30: Electronic Voting Begins
Wednesday, September 14: Close of Electronic Voting
Thursday, September 29: TOTA AGM & Election Announcement
Now Accepting Board Nominations
On behalf of TOTA Nominating Committee Chair, Frank Antoine, we invite Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association voting members to put their name forward or nominate a qualified candidate (see Eligibility Requirements) to serve as a member of the TOTA Board of Directors.
TOTA is seeking enthusiastic and energetic tourism professionals representing a wide range of the Thompson Okanagan’s tourism sectors, communities, and perspectives. The TOTA board is eager to explore new ideas and learn from people with diverse backgrounds and experiences.
If you are interested to run in the TOTA board election and meets the criteria outlined above, please submit a signed nomination form to TOTABC.org/AGM/election by Friday, August 12, 2022.
For questions about voting and board candidate eligibility, please email TOTA Board Liaison Chelsea Travere at [email protected].
A ridge of high pressure is building over B.C. this week and appears to be strengthening. It will bring an extended period of hot and dry weather. It is yet unclear how long the heat may persist.
Generally, daytime high temperatures are expected to reach the mid to high 30s in the Southwestern Interior, and high 20s or low 30s along parts of the Central Interior. Overnight lows are expected to be in the mid to high teens. There may be thunderstorms and lightning.
Resources to monitor current weather forecasts and alerts:
With hot temperatures in the summer months, the BC SPCA reminds pet guardians to ensure pets do not overheat. Take extra care with pets on hot pavement and do not leave pets in parked vehicles.
If you see an animal showing signs of heatstroke or other distress, please call the BC SPCA Call Centre at 1.855.622.7722 during business hours or contact your local animal control agency, RCMP, or police.
Tourism companies can help prevent dog heat stress by providing a cool indoor or outdoor space with water for visiting pets.
ThompsonOkanagan.com published an article about Mindful Tourism, sharing how travellers can enjoy the true beauty of new local places, but also to contribute to the future of destinations and the planet by participating in sustainable initiatives and learning relevant "green knowledge."
In the summer of 2020, TOTA partnered with the Christina Lake Welcome Centre to visit Boundary Country on an Accessible FAM tour, and experienced many accessible and inclusive activities and attractions that this beautiful region has to offer.
Tourism HR Canada released their Projections of Tourism Employment Demand in Canada, 2019 – 2025, which provides initial results from a three-year project to update and enhance the labour supply and demand projections for the tourism sector. Produced by The Conference Board of Canada, the report’s findings are based primarily on job demand stemming from the business perspective (demand side) but also include discussion of some outcomes that arise from labour challenges on the supply side, namely in the form of job vacancies.
The report is a summary of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the visitor economy in British Columbia from April 2020 to December 2021. This report is intended to share the experiences of the visitor economy as BCRTS stakeholders persevered through one of the most challenging periods in the province’s history. The experience of the visitor economy during this challenging time contains many lessons for partners and stakeholders on navigating future events, impacts, and crises.
The Government of Canada wants to hear from Canadian tourism stakeholders as it charts the path forward for the sector. Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada is conducting a public consultation on the development of a post-pandemic Federal Tourism Growth Strategy--including a focus on labour gaps and instability. The consultation period now ends August 3.
TOTA and GreenStep Solutions will be hosting an Energy Savings Webinar. This session will assist tourism operators in understanding what goes on in an energy audit that will help businesses reduce their energy bills and thereby reduce their overall carbon footprint.
The City of Penticton invite local businesses to participate in an online e-mobility workshop. The workshop will educate property owners and businesses about electric vehicles, e-bikes, and other e-mobility options.
Pre-registration is required. Contact [email protected] or 250.469.6783 x719.
The middle of summer may seem like a strange time to begin Holiday preparations, but the truth is, savvy business owners know now is the time to start planning for success. The days are counting down to some of the busiest and most demanding shopping days of the year – Black Friday and Cyber Monday in November, Holidays in December. Have you put your plans in place for success this winter?
In this two-part seminar package, Small Business BC’s Market Research expert, Mark Eversfield will teach you the important steps of gathering both secondary and primary market research. You will learn how ask the right questions, collect key data, and interpret that information to help you make strategic business decisions.
The OMG Fund is Airbnb’s program to build the most creative, jaw-dropping places on earth, which can be listed in the OMG! Category on AirBnB. 100 people will receive $100K to fund their off-beat build.
AirBnB considers originality, feasibility, sustainability, and the experience into its decision making when reviewing applications. Accommodation plan would need to pass all required inspections and bylaws and would need to be completed by August 2023.
B.C. non-profit societies, charities, and Indigenous-led organizations can apply for multi-year, flexible grants from the Vancouver Foundation. Grants from the Recovery and Resiliency Fund will provide stable funding for organizations to strengthen their operational capacity to help with recovery and longer-term resiliency.
This fund will provide:
$50,000-$72,000 flexible grant per year for 3 years to charities and non-profit societies in BC that provide community benefit and have operating budgets of less than $1 million;
Flexible grants for Indigenous-led organizations with annual revenues of more than $1 million. These organizations can apply through New Relationship Trust.
This free training from the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) BC Division informs participants on how to create and foster a psychologically healthy & safe workplace. C.A.R.E. is an acronym that means Caring and Respectful Employer.
The COVID-19 pandemic had many impacts on the business world but perhaps the most enduring will be employees’ desire to work from home and employers’ need to accommodate them. WorkSafeBC advises that employers who have remote employees should have a policy addressing the whole working from home scenario.
Smithson Employment Law Corporation published an article, ”Working From Home - The New Reality,” outlining the legal and human resources considerations for employers when developing a Work from Home Policy.
