Updates, webinars, events, opportunities to get involved, resources, and research to support Thompson Okanagan tourism professionals.
Midnight Musings from the TOTA Team
Hi there,
We are pleased to announce the BC Destination Development Fund details released by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture, and Sport. There are two streams under which eligible entities can apply:
Activate - Up to $1,000,000 per project for:
Tourism Infrastructure
Visitor Amenities
Tourism Attractions
Elevate - Up to $500,000 per project for:
Modernizing tourism experiences
Building capacity and skills
Adopting and Adapting technology
Enhancing Sustainability practices
Eligible Organizations include:
Local Governments
Indigenous government and development organizations
Not-for-profit organizations
Expressions of Interest must be received by December 7, 2022
The Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) Destination Stewardship team is conducting a survey of Thompson Okanagan tourism companies to understand the potential for Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) produced from organic waste in the region.
Thompson Okanagan tourism company owners and senior managers are invited to submit the survey.
One survey submission per company will be entered into a draw for an opportunity to win one of two $100 Amazon Gift Cards (see Contest Rules).
Want to elevate your team's digital marketing skills? Learn about the Tourism Digital Marketing Course by eLearningU and how to get a discounted price through TOTA.
Destination Sentiment reports can inform market strategy, gain insight into a destination's current strengths, and identify any gaps that exist. The reports can also compare destination performance with other regions and locations through the TOURISM SENTIMENT SCORE®, a consolidated measure of a destination’s ability to generate positive word of mouth about its tourism offering. It focuses solely on online conversations that reference or affect a potential traveller’s perceptions of a destination’s tourism offering.
Glenn Mandziuk, former TOTA CEO, continues to move the agenda on Tourism Sustainability. In his new role as the CEO of the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, he had the opportunity to attend a reception with King Charles and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak late last week.
Tourism Revelstoke held a second annual Thanksgiving Back campaign to encourage visitors to trade a day of volunteering with a local non-profit organization in exchange for up to $500 towards accommodation during their stay.
Over the weekends of Sept 24-25 and Oct 1-2, 74 people from across BC, AB, and the US participated in this campaign, volunteering in six different projects.
Projects included;
A trail maintenance dig day with the Revelstoke Cycling Association
Cleaning and winter preparation with the Revelstoke Visual Arts Centre
Event setup and management at Luna Arts Festival
Event setup and management for the Railway Day at the Revelstoke Railway Museum
A community garden maintenance day with the Local Food Initiative
Blanket Creek Restoration with the Columbia Shuswap Invasive Species Society
Equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are important elements in sustainable labor recovery. But what do these really mean in the workplace context? While businesses are aware of the importance of these elements, many are often unsure where to start.
go2HR is committed to building strong and safe workplaces. They have engaged ParriagGroup, a leading EDI firm, to build a webinar that deepens understanding of EDI and how to start reshaping the workplace.
What participants can expect:
learn what is generally meant by the terms equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI)
learn why it is so important from both a people and a business perspective
receive an introduction to the EDI Framework
learn how the EDI Framework can be used
This is the beginning of go2HR's EDI initiative aimed at creating respectful workplaces for all. Please join in this important journey toward a more equitable, inclusive, and diverse BC tourism and hospitality industry.
TOTA is hosting a line-up of seven diverse and dazzling events to officially commemorate the reopening of the Thompson Okanagan region post-pandemic, and to celebrate its people and cultures. The 7 Celebrations - Reconnect in the Thompson Okanagan is an invitation to revisit the sights, sounds, people, and culture through a region-wide celebration set to take place In November 2022 to March 2023.
In November, celebrate the changing of the seasons at this year's Fire & Ice light up with live performances from local artists including Wildfire Gypsies, Dirt Road Opera, and Raquel Cole being showcased at both the Oliver Visitor Centre in Oliver and Gyro Osoyoos Park in Osoyoos. An artisan market will be present both days showcasing local and Indigenous art.
Capturing video on behalf of your business or destination can be intimidating, especially if it’s new to you. However, most of us already have the equipment available, in the palm of our hands, to create high-quality video content—thanks to our smartphones.
It’s important to see the person, not the disability. Being disability aware means taking a look at your current perceptions about people with disabilities and being more mindful of how you think and act around them. Here are a few things to be mindful of when assisting those with varying abilities.
Small Business BC Upcoming Webinars
Destination BC has partnered with Small Business BC to offer free access for tourism business stakeholders across the province to online education supporting COVID-19 recovery. o access the webinars free of charge, register online using coupon code DBC3034.
eLearningU Recording: Creating Content that Travelers Love with:Alicia Rae-Light, Content Creator
Learn from Alicia Rae-Light, a veteran travel writer, journalist and content creator who has built her career by creating content that gets noticed and gets shared. She’ll share how small brands can get noticed by travel journalists, what goes into creating high quality content, and advice that she’d share with tourism brands that are looking to step up their blogs, itineraries or any other content.
This lesson can be accessed through eLearningU, a virtual platform that provides digital marketing lessons to the tourism industry through a collection of online certifications and lessons.
Thompson Okanagan tourism professionals get 50% off a three month subscription, which includes Live Lessons, recording and the Tourism Digital Marketing Course.
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