Manic Monday | Great Conferences to make sure you take part in.....

There are a number of tremendous conferences on the horizon that I wanted to take a moment to highlight this week. If you have not attended these before or if you are still deciding whether you should attend I encourage you to consider taking the time and resources to register and support them.

Tourism Industry Association of BC - Annual Conference 
Coming up shortly, March 4th - 6th, and taking place this year in Victoria is the annual BC Tourism Industry Conference.  Hosted by TIABC, our tourism industry advocate, this event is a tremendous opportunity to gain insight into key trends and topics affecting our industry today. Speakers and sessions will feature a range of key priorities including, Emergency Management, Accessibility, Carbon Reduction Planning, Working with the Film Industry, the Future of Luxury Travel, Understanding UNDRIP, Visual Storytelling, and the list goes on.
For more information go to their website at https://bctourismconference.ca

BC Hospitality Summit - 5th Annual Conference
Hosted by the BC Hoteliers Association and the Alliance of Beverage Licencees, this year's event is being held in Kelowna, April 6th and 7th. An equally impressive line up of topics and speakers their goal is to help the industry understand the importance of strong alliances and partnerships to build long term profitability. A highlight and always inspirational is the Industry Awards Gala on the final night, where so many accomplishments are recognized and celebrated.  For more information and to register, go to https://bchospitalitysummit.com

Global Sustainable Tourism Council Summit
Still a few months away but taking place sooner than you think is the GSTC Summit, will come to Kelowna, November 19th - 22nd, 2020,  the first time ever to be held in Canada. This conference brings together industry professionals to discuss key challenges and opportunities surrounding smart destination management and sustainable tourism development by featuring a series of presentations, speakers and panelists from around the world. To learn more and to register, go to https://www.totabc.org/gstc

Life long learning, connecting, networking, broadening our knowledge, discovering best practices, aligning and developing strong partnerships, just a few of many reasons that you should take the time to attend these important events. We are so fortunate to have this level of quality conferences taking place in our province and in our own back yard.

Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO

Manic Monday | A Lot is Happening at TOTA – Get Involved!

The TOTA team continues to have a lot in the works and numerous opportunities for you and your organization to take part in.

Through our partnership with Destination BC and the Learning Centre, there are several workshops being presented in February and March, some of which have had additional seats made available. Workshops are taking place in Cache Creek, Salmon Arm, Vernon, Kelowna, Penticton, and Rock Creek. To find out more contact Ellen Walker-Matthews at industry@totabc.com.

Our Biosphere Committed Stakeholders Sustainability Program continues to grow and we have two exciting new opportunities coming including the Eco-Efficiency Program and Health and Safety Audits through our relationship with go2HR. This community of tourism stakeholders is growing and we hope you will become part of the important work taking place. For more information contact Mike Overend at industrysupport@totabc.com.

This year’s Thompson Okanagan Guide is not just focused on all that the region can offer our guests but on the Accessible products and services available for those with mobility challenges. Mobility is a human right and this not only applies to those with life long injuries but those with challenges as a result of aging, declining health and parents with young children. To learn more about the Guide and making sure your business is included contact Lorraine Friesen acctexec@totabc.com.

Finally, we will be announcing the sponsorship opportunities for those interested in playing a significant role in the Global Sustainable Tourism Council Summit, as well as the World Travel Awards. There will be a wide range of ways to put your business forward at this International event coming to Kelowna and Vernon next fall and we look forward to working with many of you.

It has definitely been a busy and motivating year so far and we are only halfway through February! Please continue to join us in ensuring the Thompson Okanagan continues to be forward-thinking, innovative and leaders in the drive for responsible sustainable tourism stewardship.

Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO

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Manic Monday | Combining Efforts to Make a Difference Through Tourism Development

Last weeks announcement of additional $1 million in regional funding facilities, through the BC tourism regions such as TOTA, for rural communities negatively effected by Mill closures is a tremendous collaboration between the Ministry of Forest Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development together with the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, and Destination BC.

Special thanks go to Tourism Minister Lisa Beare for championing this important initiative.

This coordinated approach is an outstanding example of cross-ministry initiatives that can make a substantive difference for smaller communities with tourism opportunities as the economic driver.

In the weeks to come, TOTA will be working closely with communities and regional and local economic development and tourism agencies in the application of these dollars to develop tourism initiatives and ultimately new business and job opportunities.

Priorities are for Destination Development Initiative(s) specifically targeting rural communities with populations of less than 25,000 who have been affected by permanent Mill Closures.

Our goal, as we work closely with our partners, will be to find and develop legacy projects that will have a lasting positive impact and may be replicated in other communities in the future.

Strategic tourism stewardship and management have the ability to make a significant impact on our entire region and we look forward to working together and assisting anywhere we can on bringing this to fruition.

Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO

Manic Monday | "Accessible" and how important is it that you are?

When most people hear the word accessibility, the first thought for many is to reference individuals who for a variety of reasons may require a wheelchair.

Today the definition of accessibility has become much broader. Inclusive and accessible tourism and travel means welcoming persons with a wide range of mobility needs. These needs may be the result of injury or aging, but they may also be parents or grandparents traveling with young children who are in strollers, it may mean individuals with hearing and sight concerns or those with diminished mental capacity.

Increasingly people want to travel and experience the world no matter their situation. No longer are people willing to be held back by physical or mental issues, no longer content to stay home or watch while others enjoy. This provides the Tourism Industry with a tremendous opportunity is to ensure we are ready and welcoming making adjustments to services and products that will assist in helping everyone's travel experiences "remarkable" and "exceptional".

Based on our understanding and learning in this area continues to grow we know that while businesses and operators cannot be all things to all people, it is important to accurately communicate the accessible services you do have. For this reason, we are undertaking the development of the first regional accessibility travel guide. With input and direction from our TOTA Accessibility Specialist Sonja Gaudet, we believe this first of its kind travel guide, will provide guests and potential guests to the region insightful guidance for trip planning that can help ease the concerns of a fast-growing segment of the travel population.

Join us in creating what we know is a critically important regional guide. All of our TOTA team are taking an active role in bringing this piece to life and can help answer your questions.

Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO