Manic Monday | Remarkable people video series launches ...

A famous Barbara Streisand song offers up a well-known phrase "people....people who need people"....  Now I am very certain "the Babs" was not referring to the tourism industry when she belted out those words, but she certainly could have been. Tourism is arguably one of the most labour intensive industries in the world, and while we have slowly seen some automation of positions it truly is a sector that not only survives but thrives on "people".

Over the past 12 months our team at TOTA has travelled around the region meeting with those people that are the backbone of the industry. Working in positions both behind the scenes as well as on the front line, each of them present their own unique view of tourism and each are essential to making the guest experience the best it can be.  From a Banjo Player on the Steam Train in Summerland to an Indigenous Rodeo Clown;  a Yoga /Kayak instructor to a Guide in Wells Gray, these are the people who make our region truly Remarkable ... they are our "Remarkable People".

We are pleased to bring you a series of vignettes each week for the entire fall/winter season that will highlight many of these Remarkable People and this week we are pleased to start the series off by introducing you to Matthew Morison.

Matt is a Canadian Snowboarder, Olympic Athlete, and a helicopter pilot with Robson Heli Magic flying out of Valemount, taking guests on experiences of a lifetime. We introduce you to our first Remarkable Person, the incomparable Matthew Morison....view video 

Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO

Manic Monday | A Total Eclipse of the World

At various times today throughout parts of the world the moon will eclipse the sun, in full or in part, depending on your location. While this phenomenon actually takes place roughly every eighteen months to two years, it is rare for it to occur over land, as it will today. As such, there has been much attention focused on this eclipse as it garners the attention of both the general public and the scientific community.  The behaviour of many species during a solar eclipse has also been documented over time and there are some interesting and notable effects. Perhaps not surprisingly roughly 30 minutes before and after totality, bees and ants head to back into their nests, bats take to the skies and birds head to their roosts, while cattle stop grazing and many insects stop biting. More unusual behaviours are seen in the chimpanzee family which have been observed moving to higher ground or tree tops and gazing upwards orienting their bodies toward the eclipse, whales will surface and breach, while some species of spiders will take down their webs; all behaviours that do not occur normally during regular periods of nighttime darkness.

This is always a fascinating moment in time and one many in North America last remember occurring in their childhoods. It is shrouded in mystery and intrigue while at the same time taken seriously by scientists worldwide who continue to anticipate unlocking more information about the earth, our sun and the effects of this momentary darkness.

One of the definitions of the word "eclipse" in Webster's dictionary indicates "falling into a state of obscurity or decline; the state of being eclipsed", caused me to reflect on the current "darkness" that seems to be permeating many world events.  Just as the sun is about to be  blocked by the moon there is a growing sense of evil eclipsing good; insanity eclipsing sanity; fake news eclipsing facts and darkness blocking the light; in Game of Thrones terms... it feels like "Winter is Here".

It was with incredible shock and sadness that I watched the footage from Barcelona last week. Footage taken on the very streets that I had just walked on in June; streets where residents and tourists alike where going about their lives innocent and unaware of the darkness that was about to descend. This on top of the previous attacks in London, Nice, Paris and of course Virginia and this on top of world leaders making threatening statements that could affect all of mankind as they toy with nuclear weapons.

The world appears to be in its own state of eclipse at the moment and this one is sadly not going to be over in a matter of minutes. Unrest, uncertainty, fear and hate are blocking out the beauty and compassion that the majority of world's people share. People with similar goals and desires to provide better lives for their children, take care of their neighbour and leave the world a better place than they found it. It is critical that we remind ourselves that while we are bombarded with a daily dose of disconcerting reality we cannot let the positive efforts of so many be eclipsed by so few.  Those that would hide in the shadows and take aim at innocent people cannot not push the rest of us into hiding, hiding behind the moon.

The world is in a state of eclipse, literally and figuratively and while the real sun will be back out this afternoon, much bigger changes are required to ensure the world gets back on track.

Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO

Manic Monday | We're heading east....

....and we'd like you to join us!  This year we are taking the Thompson Okanagan Region on the road to assist our regional tourism stakeholders with next year’s employee recruitment and we are starting in October!

The Thompson Okanagan is an ideal location for students and graduates of hospitality, business, and culinary programs in our neighbouring province to consider as a place to launch their careers and we think it is imperative we bring that message directly to them. With that in mind go2HR and TOTA are jointly spearheading an initiative to meet with students at SAIT in Calgary, NAIT in Edmonton and Olds College in (you guessed correctly) Olds, Alberta this fall. We plan to get a jump on the competition by bringing job opportunities to their attention early.

Armed with a toolkit of ideas and information we want to make sure we are their region of choice as they consider summer employment or hopefully something more long-term.

Staffing shortages at all levels are a concern across our industry today and for the foreseeable future and go2HR together with TOTA are working on a variety of initiatives including this one to put tourism and the region at the top of job seekers consideration list. In addition to the Alberta trip we are currently working on a tourism recruitment video with supporting brochure that speaks to both the youth and boomers; meeting with our regional tourism advisory committee on a quarterly basis to actively identify and problem solve employment challenges; and planning a spring regional tourism job fair.  The challenge is immense and daunting, however, we believe with creative approaches and collaboration it is not insurmountable.

Interested in getting involved? There are a number of ways to participate including joining us this fall in Alberta. Space for the trip is limited, however, with a core group of employers representing a variety of tourism opportunities we know we can make an impression and drive interest.  If you can't attend in person be sure to begin uploading job opportunities on the go2HR Job Board.

For more information go to our News Centre or contact Ginger Brunner at gbrunner@go2hr.ca

We're heading east to bring them west....and we want you to be part of the movement!

Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO

Manic Monday | We can't hear you if you don't participate.....

It is difficult to focus on much else besides the wildfire and smoke conditions that are negatively impacting almost everyone in our region and throughout the province, but I am going to take a bit of pause and talk about participation and engagement.

Last night, I took the time to review the results from the Survey that we have been sending out for to our stakeholder base for several weeks. A survey that asks industry to provide feedback on the economic impact that has been felt as are direct or indirect result of this year's fire season and the related negative media messaging.  Shockingly, in a region that boasts over 4500 tourism industry stakeholders, where I am hearing that business is dramatically down this summer, and where phones calls are being fielded daily as to what will be done to assist industry; a mere 124 stakeholders to date have forward the survey information back to us.

We have an immediate opportunity to ensure that Destination BC, and in particular our new Provincial Government, is aware of the financial impact that closed parks, roads, fires and smoke have had on our visitor volume and our tourism revenues and the importance of additional funding requirements to keep businesses open and to build back what has been lost.

Understandably, many are still in the throes of the fire situation while others are working hard to keep the business they have in hand. We are a region of small business owners and entrepreneurs working long hours and hands on. But I do implore you to take a few moments of your time to provide us the feedback that could ultimately make a dramatic difference in the near in future.  The survey is not just for those areas that have been evacuated or are on alert but for any part of the region that has seen a decline in visitor volumes related to this summer's challenging situation.

It is easy to not participate in opportunities that are presented by Destination BC, TOTA, your local communities DMO's and Chambers. And it is always unfortunate to see how often the same individuals attend meetings, volunteer, register to participate in programs or just generally supporting Tourism initiatives. We are an important industry and vital to the economic health of the region and the province. Can you imagine the impact, the difference, the voice that the Tourism Industry would have if even 50% of the stakeholder base took an active role, no matter how big or small in moving things forward.

This fall, there will be Destination Planning meetings around the region, our own AGM and Summit in November, the Remarkable Experiences Training workshops in the fall and numerous other events that you may be called upon to attend or consider. Take the time, get involved, participate. We can only hear if you participate...In the meantime, grab a coffee, tea, local wine, craft beer or whiskey and send us back this survey...we can't assure you of what will happen if you do but we can assure you that nothing will happen if you don't...

Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO