Manic Monday | What do they think they know that nobody else does?

Frequently when I am driving in the winter (and for the record I am not considered a slow driver), I have marveled at the number of vehicles careening by me at high speeds. They drive seemingly with little regard for weather conditions, compelled to continue to go well over the speed limit during snow storms, white outs, icy roads and times of poor or limited visibility.  Often I have been heard to say "what do they think they know that no one else does?"

Over the past several days numerous discussions have been taking place around our region regarding the state of our highways in the winter months.  With just a few weeks of snow under our belts we have already experienced road closures, traffic tie ups and accidents both minor and deadly. Overwhelming there is an expressed opinion that our winter road challenges are not the fault of poor road maintenance but rather ongoing irresponsible driving behaviours.  Drivers who believe they know more than others, believe their time is more valuable than others, and worse, believe their lives are more important. The resulting selfishness closes roads, causes long traffic delays, prevents travellers from taking a chance on winter trips and in the worst situations results in fatalities, both their own and others.

Transport trucks are certainly cited as major culprits with a continued neglect by many to chain up when the law clearly specifies they must do so. The result of this selfishness ranges from causing minor inconveniences to devastating outcomes. They are, however, not the only ones who believe that no adjustment is required when driving in winter.  How many SUV's, 4 x 4's and those that would take on mountain passes without proper tires are seen driving at high speeds, passing when it is clearly not safe to do so, sliding across lanes or into other vehicles and then later seen scattered in culverts and ditches.

Winter in our region is a reality, and there will be times when the ferocity of a storm requires drastic measures to ensure the safety of the travelling public, however it is incumbent upon every person that chooses to get behind the wheel of a vehicle to do so with the best of intentions and with the consideration of all that are on those same highways.

For our tourism industry road closures mean business closures. Organizations including the Tourism Industry Association of BC (TIABC), Destination BC (DBC), TOTA and community DMO's work closely with various Government Ministries continuously pushing to ensure there is funding for roads to be well maintained and remain open during these harsh seasons; we all work with media outlets to encourage them to provide accurate and measured reporting but we must find a way to hold all drivers accountable. The laws are clearly in place and must be enforced. We must all apply pressure to see that those that are not adhering are met with severe consequences.

What do they think they know that nobody else does?

Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO

Manic Monday | If you want to go far, go together

The above title is taken in part from an African Proverb;  "if you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together".

These words so clearly underscore the importance of developing partnerships and the need for our tourism industry to work together to ensure our far reaching success.

An excellent example of this type of collaboration is Canada's West Marketplace which was held last week in Victoria. This travel and business exchange is the result of Destination BC and Travel Alberta working in cooperation to bring their travel trade operators to Canada for meetings on an annual basis.  Now in its 30th year, invited operators take part in a series of one-on-one meetings with stakeholders from both provinces over the course of four days.  In addition, operators are able to experience firsthand many of the products they are representing through pre and post familiarization trips. This annual event is built on a recognition by all parties of the tremendous value and synergy of working in partnership.

Our TOTA team also believes in the critical importance of building partnerships with each of our DMO's as well as our stakeholders.   Over the past few years we have also been pleased to have worked on unique alliances organizations including  go2HR, AtBC, and GreenStep, to name but a few.  We also work closely with our  three major corporate partners including Air Canada, TELUS, and YLW without which we could not accomplish many of the goals that we view are critical in moving the tourism industry forward in our region.

In the months to come, we will continue to look for both traditional and non-traditional partnership opportunities, ones where both parties can clearly see value in working collectively and aligning with the tourism industry.  We encourage you to do the same by building strong ties to your DMO's as well as other industry stakeholders and TOTA.

The value of working together can not be understated, we have far to go and each of us needs the other to get there!

Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO

Manic Monday | Destination Development starts with every stakeholder

“The Whole is Greater than the Sum of Its Parts” - a phrase often attributed to Aristotle and certainly one that has stood the test of hundreds of years. Its philosophy as accurate today as it was when first quoted.

The online definition is quite succinct and referenced below:

It means that there is such a connection among individual items that it is better than what each one would be on its own. This is known as synergy - the interaction of elements that when combined produce a total effect that is greater than the sum of the individual elements contributions.

The implication of this statement is never more true than in the delivery of the Tourism Experience. The connection between individual items within your own organization collectively creates the full impression on the visitor and each touchpoint can serve to either continue to amplify the positive or conversely the negative opinion of their overall experience.

Similarly, this continues to be true as a visitor moves through a community or a region. Regardless of the size or scope of the tourism product, providing the guest with exceptional and often unexpected service at every level helps to build a stronger tourism industry and add an extra level of marketing for the destination that would not otherwise occur.

It is, however, every stakeholder’s responsibility to take a role in ensuring quality delivery and creating an environment of exceptional service and truly memorable visitor experiences.

Over the past several years Destination BC (DBC), with the local support of TOTA, has been providing stakeholders with the Remarkable Experiences workshops. This program, which is offered over two full day sessions followed by an hour and a half of one on one coaching, is an excellent first step in taking an active role in the development of this destination.

The next session will be starting this December with the first two day workshop on December 5 and 6 followed by the second two days at the end of January.  

I not only encourage you to register yourself, or a member of your team, in this program, but I challenge our entire region to see how many “Remarkable Experiences Graduates” we can have in the course of the next few year.  As of now, after just 3 intakes we are very pleased that over 60 stakeholders have gone through the program and the feedback has been exceptional.

We are greater than the sum of our parts, and we believe strongly that programs like DBC’s Remarkable Experiences will help make a difference for your employees, your business, your community and, most importantly, your guests.

Watch videos of previous Remarkable Experiences workshops.

Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO

Manic Monday | From Impossible to Possible

When the Thompson Okanagan's 10 year Regional Strategy, "Embracing Our Potential"  was completed in 2012 there were a number of foundational pillars outlined that most of you have heard me speak of many times. Key to the basis of the strategy included reducing seasonality through the development of core themes, elevating our first nations tourism products, identifying iconic products that make our region unique, focusing on the travellers desires for personal growth and authenticity, and all of this underpinned through a "Charter of Sustainability".

As we came to the end of this year’s annual AGM and Summit held last week in Kamloops it was apparent that, while there is still much work to be done, many of the strategies we all committed to in 2012 have not only been implemented but are moving forward quickly and are now strongly supported by both stakeholders and government.

Not the least of these strategic efforts, last week the Thompson Okanagan Region received prestigious Biosphere Destination accreditation as a Sustainable Tourism Destination in keeping with the 17 goal areas as outlined by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).  The Thompson Okanagan through this process has become the first destination in all of the Americas to achieve certification with the official presentation having taken place in Kamloops on November 1st, followed up with an announcement at the Legislature in Victoria together with our Honourable Minister of Tourism Arts and Culture Lisa Beare on Friday November 3rd. A brief video of the announcement can be found at https://totabc.wistia.com/medias/bu29xh07t7

Thank you to everyone that attended, presented, or in anyway assisted in the success of last week’s AGM and Summit and with the achievement of this certification. It was truly an exciting week for our region and the support and encouragement from each of you as we move forward with what sometimes appear to be impossible goals provides our team the strength and determination to not only take the business of tourism very seriously, but to constantly strive to ensure this region is poised for a long term sustainable future.

Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO