Manic Monday - March 14, 2016

"It's not easy being Green" so mused a small frog that managed to capture several generations with his sad lament. Being green isn't easy but it is getting easier since that day in 1970, just over 46 years ago, when these words were originally written. This week with St. Patrick's Day just ahead what better time to think about the concept of being Green.

It seems daily, if not hourly, we are being faced with the shocking evidence and effects of a warming planet. Weather systems have become increasingly more intense, oceans are warming, glaciers melting, sea levels rising and concerns mounting on how to manage all of the uncertainty.  Whether you believe in climate change or man's role in the issue it behooves us all to do what we can to take our planet's health seriously.

In 2016, TOTA with communities from across the region will embark on development of a Regional Charter of Sustainability; the first of it's kind in North America. This charter will address a wide variety of topics and issues surrounding the long term environmental, social and cultural sustainability of the Thompson Okanagan with a key area of focus will being Green Tourism; creating the right products - to attract the right visitors -  ensuring the protection of our regional and environmental assets over the long term.

In the short term, there are a variety of ways to start making a difference immediately.  GreenStep, a TOTA partner, can assist your business in identifying how to make small and large changes that will begin to reduce your carbon footprint. With offices located right here in the region, we encourage you to contact them directly and find out how you can participate in one of their complimentary webinars or have a Green evaluation of your business. We know from their research your customers will thank you for it.

TOTA is also working with Global Television to produce a series of vignettes highlighting tourism stakeholders that are actively working on Green Initiatives. For more information or to find out how you might participate in these programs, contact Meaghan Racine in our TOTA office - marketing@totabc.com.

Thompson Okanagan - Greenest Region in Canada?
The title will belong to someone eventually, why not us!

A Very Happy St Patrick's Day to all
as you raise your glass on the 17th - a challenge - to make your world a bit greener in 2016.

Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO 

Manic Monday - March 7, 2016

Over the past four days I have been brought back to the true meaning of all that encompasses "The Road Trip". Driving with the CaravanFest to Seattle it brought back a wave of nostalgia surrounding the family vacation.

I'm sure most of us have been there... loading up the van with far more than intended, bringing along a cooler full of snacks that were most often consumed in the first hour, the dreaded but necessary "cone of silence" that envelopes the car after making a wrong turn (or even a few of them) and the pure and simple pleasure derived from driving new routes, pondering the lives of those in the towns you pass through and watching the landscape change ever slowly with each kilometre that rolls by.

So many of those vacations have been replaced in recent years with flights to exotic locations where winter could literally turn to summer within the time lapse of 4 hours. For many millennials the idea of packing into a what amounts to 119 cubic feet for a lengthy road trip is not only unheard of, but somewhat terrifying.

Times however are changing and with it a return to travel experiences that are closer to home. The Thompson Okanagan is a prime destination for those that seek the thrill of the open road whether by car, van, electric car or motorcycle. Our routes and corridors from 97 to 3, 33 to 5 and the mighty Trans Canada all offer incredible opportunities to create vacations in our region that will become the fabric of new family memories for years to come.

Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO

Manic Monday - February 29, 2016

If you are old enough to remember Manic Mondays a song made popular in the 80's by the Bangles, there is reference to the relaxation of Sunday followed by the utter lunacy of the start of the week.  Unfortunately  technology has put many of us in the unenviable position of turning what was once the Funday into something now often referred to as Smonday;  "that moment on Sunday when the manic of Monday begins".

As you maneuver your way through your week and the frenetic pace most of us find ourselves in we hope the new TOTA news centre, now delivered electronically on Monday mornings, will give you a chance to catch your breath, enjoy industry insights, regional highlights and even allow a moment to appreciate the significance of the contribution our industry makes in providing enjoyment, relaxation and a difference in the lives of our guests.

If we are successful at our role in tourism we are the purveyors of tranquility within our own world of chaos.....

Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO