Manic Monday - April 11, 2016

There is in fact a Science of Generosity which, among other things, has found that we reach an age quite early in life when we actually get far more pleasure from giving than receiving.  Sir Winston Churchill stated it best, "We make a living by what we get....We make a life by what we give."  Those of us in tourism understand the pleasure of giving through the services we offer our visitors daily and the satisfaction that is derived from our efforts.

However, it is not only our guests that need the benefit of our service and our generosity.  The Hospitality and Tourism industry is a vast labour force with the large majority of the jobs being in non-managerial, part-time, hourly positions which provide limited health and medical benefits. Unfortunately this means that many of our colleagues find themselves without the necessary resources to deal with the unexpected financial burden arising out of the unforeseen circumstances of medical issues or injuries.

The BC Hospitality Foundation (BCHF) was created by members within the hospitality community who recognized the magnitude of this need. Originally founded in the Lower Mainland, the BCHF now has chapters on Vancouver Island and in the Thompson Okanagan and gives out in excess of $80,000 to $85,000 annually. Funds raised come primarily from activities the industry itself plans, organizes and hosts as well as two or three anchor events coordinated by the Foundation each year.

And the giving does not stop there as the BCHF is also committed to the future of our potential industry employees awarding scholarships annually to students enrolled in hospitality, culinary, sommelier and beverage programs within the province of BC.

To learn more about how you or your business can help raise funds for the BCHF or participate in one of their annual events go to bchospitalityfoundation.com. Of equal importance, if you or someone you know is aware of an industry employee whose journey may be made slightly easier with assistance from this program, contact Alan Sacks (asacks@bchospitalityfoundation.com) who can guide you through the the process of making the application for funds.

If the Science of Generosity is true, this program provides an incredible vehicle for all of our industry to stay connected and appreciate the benefits of giving.

Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO

Manic Monday - April 4, 2016

What is it to be Remarkable?  The dictionary has a fairly simple definition – “to be worthy of being or likely to be noticed especially as being uncommon or extraordinary”.  Over time the concept of remarkable has become synonymous with words such as exceptional, brilliant, amazing, astounding, sensational, unbelievable and other similar words characterizing something that is almost larger than life and seemingly quite unattainable.

But what if we challenged these definitions to suggest that “remarkable” happens, or could happen, every day and that all of us that work in tourism have the ability to create experiences that are remarkable, often by making only small changes to things we are already doing.

Over the past several months Destination BC, together with TOTA and the four other regional DMO’s, have piloted a program aptly named “Remarkable Experiences”.  Ten tourism stakeholders in each region had the opportunity through workshops and one on one coaching sessions to challenge themselves in exactly this way. Each were encouraged to rethink the way they looked at their own tourism product and analyzed the various ways in which their customers interacted with them. They looked at everything from how guests access and research their business prior to booking; initial contact through to and including the booking process; the actual experience from arrival to departure; and any post communications. They also went on to analyze and evaluate their businesses’ social media and web presence and found ways to make it easier for their guests to be part of their social media marketing initiatives.

What became clear as we went through the process is that remarkable is attainable to anyone who wants to put in the effort and it not only makes the experience better for our guests but it makes the delivery of the experience much more rewarding to the operator.

So now the challenge is over to you. There will be another Remarkable Experiences program offered in the fall of 2016 which we encourage you to watch for and participate in however with the busiest season about to arrive, what can you do NOW to be remarkable?

Remember, remarkable does not have to be costly, it can range from the unexpected delivery of Ridel wine glasses to the door of your Yurt, the unlikely installation of a Tesla charging station in one of the region’s oldest gas pumps, a banjo player that can sing you a song in your language of choice or the possibility of an old Rail Car Caboose transformed into overnight accommodation (still under discussion).

And don’t keep your remarkable initiatives quiet….post your experiences on our TOTA news centre and send them to us at info@totabc.com so we help potential visitors hear about them through our social media channels and those of Destination BC.

Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO

Manic Monday - March 21, 2016

Do you remember your first job?

Do you remember that moment when the call came in and the voice on the other end of the phone said “you can start this Saturday”? It might have been a paper route, delivering pizza, washing dishes at a diner or loading shelves at the local grocery store.   For many of us that phone call came when we were young, the job was basic and the pay definitely meager. Yet despite the simplicity of the position there is relatively little in our working lives since that can compare with the anticipation and excitement of our “first job”. Money in our jeans, freedom and independence, a sense of purpose and an escape from the parents…we were on our way!  How soon we would find out that it wasn’t all as simple as first thought and eventually we would come to appreciate the words “learning what you want to do in life often comes from doing things you don’t want to do”.

Nevertheless, like many young Canadians, my first job was in the tourism industry and mine did not really bring independence from the family but rather tied us even closer together. My foray into the industry was less by choice than by necessity as my parents first purchased a motel in Manitoba and later moved us BC where again they bought and ran a motel. It was there that I learned the magnitude of work that goes into a relatively small accommodation operation and it was also there that I came to understand and respect the world of tourism and hospitality.

In the Federal Government's Tourism Strategy released in 2010; it notes that 98% of the Tourism Industry in Canada is comprised of small and medium sized businesses employing just under 600,000 and accounting for more than 9% of the country’s overall employment. My family definitely contributed to those figures and in the Thompson Okanagan we know this all too well how important the industry is as an employer with our regional Tourism Industry employing more than 15,000 full time equivalents and growing rapidly.

Our regional work force is diverse and complex with a mixture of long term career professionals, young first time employees, individuals re-entering the work force after an extended period and healthy active seniors who are ready, willing and extremely capable.

As we head into the busy hiring season, take a moment to reflect on just how important having a job is to our wide cross section of employees, how working changes their lives and their sense of purpose and value in the community. No matter what the position each person is integral to the overall success of our businesses, our tourism products and the experiences of our guests.  What can we as employers do to better welcome employees into our industry, equip them with the tools they need, assist them in recognizing their individual significance and try to ensure that they truly appreciate their role in the big picture of Tourism.

The Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) together with Destination BC (DBC) and go2HR are working in partnership to assist tourism employers and potential employees in the Thompson Okanagan by providing opportunities for training, education, job fairs and online recruitment.  Our Breaking News release last week announced the appointment of Ginger Brunner as an HR specialist and resource who will be based in the TOTA office.  Ginger will be working as part of a new initiative between our three organizations and is there to assist you in connecting with the valuable assets of go2HR. While Ginger will be working hard to connect with our communities, we encourage you to visit their website, post your employment opportunities and contact her directly to explore training and best practice resources.

You could be the Tourism Employer of Choice in our region and better yet we could collectively aspire to be the Regional Tourism Employers of Choice. Lofty goals but ones that could be attained through a collective effort to make the employees experience welcoming and memorable. Work experiences that when they reflect back on their “first job”, their “re-entry into the work place” or when explaining their “role in tourism” to their grandchildren they can do so with enthusiasm and pride.

Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO

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