Manic Monday | Sustainability starts with every individual

Creating a sustainable tourism destination begins with a commitment by each and every community and stakeholder in the region.  As I have noted before, the work that was done leading up to the Biosphere Responsible Tourism designation for the Thompson Okanagan achieved in early November was just the beginning of an exciting journey that we believe will have wide-spread implications on our long-term successful development as a tourism destination. Those opportunities will begin to be realized as early as this year!

Currently, I am in Madrid, Spain attending and presenting to a worldwide conference on Sustainability highlighting the Thompson Okanagan Region and our focus on this critical issue. This opportunity puts our area of British Columbia and Canada front and centre on the world stage and assists us in bringing forward our message regarding the right tourist at the right time in the right place. It also enables us to connect with other tourism destinations who have learned how best to engage in regional sustainability practices.

Also, this month in Victoria for the first time there is an Impact Conference being held which will bring together government officials, business leaders, special interest groups, tourism organizations, and stakeholders to discuss the issues around climate change, floods, fires, severe winter and ultimately the long-term sustainability of the tourism industry. If you are to attend we encourage you to register for this event.

Finally, in the coming weeks, you will start to see announcements from our TOTA team on how you and your business can take an active role in developing your business in a way that is responsible and sustainable.

This is a team event and together we can make a difference. Sustainability starts with each of us and every action small and large contributing to an enormous change.

We look forward to an exciting year of change in 2018 and working closely with our DMO partners creating a road map that will ensure we all see a healthy and vibrant tourism industry for the long term.

Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO

Manic Monday | Getting back at it...

January 2018 is well underway and whether your holiday season was short or extended it is now time to get back at it!  The Tourism Industry Association of British Columbia (TIABC) Industry Conference is coming soon with registration filling up and you should make sure you don't miss out.

This year’s conference is being held in Kelowna at the Delta Grand by Marriott from March 7th - 9th.  If you have never had the opportunity to attend this event before, this is the perfect year with it being held in the Thompson Okanagan region.

TIABC is our industry’s voice to government, advocating on important issues and ensuring the concerns of tourism are heard and understood. Under the strong direction of its CEO Walt Judas and industry-led board or directors this organization is considered a leader across Canada and is only strengthened by the ongoing participation of its members.

Take the opportunity to learn more about TIABC and set aside time to attend what promises to be an outstanding conference!

For more information and to register for the conference go to http://www.bctourismconference.ca

Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO

Manic Monday | Happy New Year and Welcome to 2018

If you are tired of the standard New Year’s lists of things that you are committing to and subsequently ignoring, try selecting and committing to a single word to define your upcoming year. I say select loosely as the word usually finds you rather than the reverse. Interestingly over the years these words, in reflection, have often been very prophetic.  You may be surprised at how hard it is to shake off that one word and how it may propel you forward over the next 12 months.

Write it down, tuck it away, make it your mantra and watch life unfold around it!

Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO

Manic Monday | What’s under your tree?

Merry Christmas Day!

I hope today you find yourself so busy with family and friends that you are actually reading this on December 26, 27 or even 28!. With the magic of Christmas Eve now a distant memory and all of the gifts that were once nicely wrapped under the tree ripped open, where do your thoughts turn as the day winds down? You may have received the latest technology or gadget, there may be a selection of toys already used, abused, discarded or worse, broken and the final feast of the season is about to take place which often includes Turkey or other variations on that theme.

Personally, I have always found Christmas Day to be a bit of a letdown.  The build-up and excitement leading up to the "main event" so often turns into the stark realization that tomorrow life will go on as it had previously with all of the highs and lows and little of anything changing.

Truthfully,  I have been known to complain about circumstances in my life from time to time.  Shockingly so many of us who enjoy so much, still find it appropriate to somehow wish for something better something more.  No matter where you find yourself this holiday season take an inventory of your life and you may find that you need to take a step back and realize just how much you truly have to be grateful for.

My Christmas wish this year is that the people we become at the holidays could continue throughout the year. A true gift under the tree would be to realize a  kinder and more generous world with individuals giving more of themselves and really recognizing the needs of those around throughout the entire year.

From the entire TOTA team and my family, I wish you a very safe and happy holiday season and we wish you hope and happiness under your tree at Christmas that will last the whole year through.

Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO

Manic Monday | What’s in your wallet?

It is amazing that so much of our world is digitized and yet so many of us struggle with the concept of a digital currency; aka bitcoin.

The hard truth is that several years ago I was offered an opportunity to purchase a Bitcoin for just under $400. Ever the skeptic, (as in I still don't really believe they put a man on the moon), I turned the offer down certain that it was a scam or at the very least a pyramid scheme.  Today that same single Bitcoin is worth $22,700 Canadian dollars. The issue for me, outside of the fact that I am devastated I did not buy bitcoin when they were affordable, is that I don't understand the concept of the currency. I don't understand why that one single online coin is worth so much money today and I don't know why, how or even if, it will continue to grow in value over time.  Without question I am personally guilty of having not taken the time to look deeper into what is actually taking place preferring to pass the idea of Bitcoin off as a passing trend, or something far worse, far more sinister.

On those rare occasions when I do start to search online for more information it does not take long for my eyes to glaze over with terms like block-chain, mining, cryptocurrency or hexadecimal coding. It takes almost no time for my attention to move quickly away from educating myself on bitcoin to something far more understandable and comforting like old episodes of America's Got Talent.

Never the less, whether we collectively understand this currency or not, Bitcoin seems to be coming back into the news time and again. It appears to be somewhat inevitable that either Bitcoin or an alternative will find its way into our imaginary wallets sooner than later.  Here are just a few facts about Bitcoin that may (or may not) lead you to want to learn more:

• Bitcoin has a founder, Satoshi Nakamoto, who decided at the outset there would only ever by 21 million Bitcoins issued

• Bitcoin is entirely digital - no one has a physical Bitcoin

• Bitcoin uses hexadecimal coding making them far more difficult to steal than credit card numbers

• In some countries you can purchase food, clothes and other items using Bitcoin

• In August 2017 Bitcoin split into Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash - which seems to be important however I cannot indicate why

• Some analysts indicate that Bitcoin value could rise to $500,000 per coin by 2030 while others predict the value will drop to $0.00

So, even now after having stayed awake to learn more about this 10 year old and ever growing phenomena I can yet again say that I am besmirched as to what it all means.

I do believe that every trend is worth monitoring and staying open to new possibilities and ways of advancing our businesses should always be top of mind. Could there be a competitive advantage to consider by accepting Bitcoin currency? Maybe not yet or possibly not ever, but we would be wise to stay open to the potential.

In the words of Albert Einstein

"If at first, the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it."

Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO

Manic Monday | Looking for Tourism Champions to Battle Hunger

Last week I heard a startling statistic.  Our BC food banks currently assist over 103,000 people every month, a full third (34,000) are children and these numbers are continuing to grow. These statistics are overwhelming in a province and country of so much wealth and prosperity. While the holiday season tends to bring a renewed focus of effort on this subject with multiple organizations hosting food drives and other initiatives to ensure that the shelves of community food banks are full; it is not a season issue but a staggering problem that is occurring all year long.

It is hard to imagine how much time, effort and energy is spent on the very important role of helping those in unprivileged countries receive the nourishment they desperately need while at the same time realizing so many people we come in direct contact with daily are going to school and work with empty stomachs.

As an industry there are things we can be doing and tremendous examples of our stakeholders finding unique ways to help champion this cause. One outstanding project is happening near Oliver where Arterra Wines Canada (formerly Constellation Brands) where they plant the perimeter of their vineyard in fresh vegetables that are regularly delivered to a few of the area food banks.

BC Tree Fruits in collaboration with the Salvation Army provides free use of their cold storage space to ensure fresh produce can be delivered throughout the winter months and many small independent bistro's and coffee houses host programs such as "suspended" coffee or lunch where patrons pay in advance for a beverage or meal that another can utilize.

The Thompson Okanagan is region of entrepreneurs and creative thinkers who are collectively smarter than this problem and as an industry we have to work to find ways to assist our communities in ensuring that no person goes hungry.

If each of us can do our part, however large or small, to help our food banks and our neighbours we may not be able to fix the need but we will be able to fulfill it.

Individually or through your business help make a difference a life changing difference.

We are looking for Tourism Champions who are taking on hunger. Tell us your story or that of your organization and we will be sure to feature you in our news centre and Manic Monday's

Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO

Manic Monday | Millennials and Boomers - unique and yet similar

While you may not think that recruitment brochures and videos are anything novel, we hope when you watch these you might find they have been created slightly different then the norm.

Our teams collaborated with Millennials and Boomers through a series of meetings and interviews, having general conversations about their past, current plans, considerations for the future and identifying potential motivators for employment. Surprisingly or perhaps not so surprisingly we discovered that these two groups often overlapped in their goals and aspirations related to potential job opportunities and many had similar ideas around their "first" or "next" careers.

Frequently both groups indicated that being outside, doing something that made a difference, achieving some form of personal growth, helping others and having variety in the experiences they were having where all factors in their consideration of potential positions. These married nicely with many tourism opportunities and aligning the two became the focus for the video development.

We hope you will take the time to watch and share these videos and to consider their comments as you recruit for the coming season and the coming year.

Millennials and Boomers, they have been raised in vastly different eras, exposed to dramatically different forms of technology and both are navigating their way through life in unique and yet often very similar ways.

Boomer video: https://youtu.be/8-QCOntSkyQ
Millennials video: https://youtu.be/TFfvKgp-Rtg

Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO

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

Manic Monday | Too Long, Didn't Read (TLDR)

This week I had the opportunity to spend Thursday in Vancouver with a number of industry colleagues at a "Day of Inspiration" presented by Destination BC. There where several outstanding speakers who took us on a journey that not only inspired, but enlightened, and challenged us all to prepare for the future - a future that will most certainly be unpredictable.

The information from a wide variety of speakers was exceptional, and in some cases quite overwhelming, however very early in session I learned a great new acronym "TLDR" - ‘Too Long, Didn't Read’, which essentially means you have more than likely already stopped reading this article. However, for those of you that have continued to read on here are a few short nuggets that I hope will resonate:

• We aren't in traffic... we are the traffic.

• There are only 26 months until 2020. I don't know about you, but I find this information utterly shocking. Weren't we just dealing with Y2K?

• No one can predict the future except to say that change will be the constant.

• There are ‘fixed’ and ‘growth’ mindsets. Given the era of change if you are a fixed mindset you are in for some challenges.

• Mountain Equipment Co-op, in business for 47 years and the International Business of the year in 2016, realizes that they may well not be in business in 10 years or less.

• As stated above, my new favourite acronym TLDR - "Too Long, Didn't Read" - if you want someone read your message or watch your video make it short and concise

• Videos are viewed 5 times longer than static images

• NBDB - everyone is looking for the "Never Been Done Before" idea; they want to break Facebook;  go viral; inspire.

• An average person's attention span used to be 12 seconds, currently it is 8, and for Gen Z it is pro-ported to be 2.8 seconds. For reference, a goldfish has an attention span of 9 seconds, should we be concerned?

• 2167 - the average number of times we consult our cell phone - daily!

Based on everything I did hear on Thursday I am pretty certain that 70% of those that opened this week’s Manic Monday have long since moved onto other email, Facebook posts, twitter and Instagram.  For those of you that persevered past the 8 seconds thank you! It looks like we are now part of a small, but incredibly well read minority.

Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO

Manic Monday | Kettle Valley Rail Trail gets a great boost!

This past Friday, Minister Lisa Beare spoke briefly in Kelowna following her tour from the air of the Kettle Valley Rail Trail. Without question, our new Minster of Tourism, Arts and Culture has become an enthusiastic supporter of this iconic tourism experience and it was indeed an honour to be a part of hosting her.

We are at a unique moment. Over many years, countless individuals have worked tirelessly for the vision of a Rail Trail on the Kettle Valley that could provide economic benefits to rural communities, support entrepreneurial tourism businesses, increase international visitation to the region and offer locals and residence an exceptional outdoor soft adventure experience.

While there have been wins along the way in the past several years, more and more concerns has been raised over the ongoing deterioration of sections on the  trail and a severe shortage of funds to continue to maintain and grow this valuable asset.

This month the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association received notification that we have been awarded $500,000 grant from the BC Rural Dividend Fund through the Ministry of Forest, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development to match dollars already raised. With additional strong support from the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture and Destination BC,  these monies will be used to focus on the Kettle Valley Rail Trail and to assist us in working with our partners at Destination BC, Recreation Sites and Trails BC, Regional Districts, City and Community DMO's and especially with our numerous stakeholders who are aligned with this project. We intend to see these funds used to assist us all in re-igniting the process of enhancing the quality and experience of this rail trail as well as elevating the ongoing marketing efforts that can and will benefit not only our larger centres but importantly bring new revenue opportunities to our small communities.

I’m very proud of the team at TOTA for their ongoing support, leadership, patience, and tenacity to see this project through!

It is only the beginning, there is much work to be done and much more money to be raised, however the momentum is undeniable and the opportunity is now.  The train, as they say, has left the station and we sure hope to see many many jump on board.

Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO

Manic Monday | Perhaps there is no Tourism Labour Shortage?

With just 10 days until our TOTA/go2HR regional campus recruitment trip to Alberta, I was shocked to learn that there are a total of 6 job postings placed by our TOTA Stakeholders on the go2HR website. Perhaps I should not be surprised but truly I am speechless. Similar recruitment trips last year resulted in over 150 resumes from keen and capable students eager to work in tourism in British Columbia however without potential job options we may as well be fishing in a "catch and release" lake.

Almost daily I hear from multiple sources that labour shortages are causing a crisis in our industry. Hoteliers are closing floors of guest-rooms, restaurants are shutting down during portions of the day and are even closing for full days of the week while activity providers are losing revenue during optimum booking periods due to a lack of employees and yet there are currently just 6 job postings for next year.

Our partners at go2HR provide a dedicated online location for the tourism industry to post job opportunities. This site is not only broken down by region but provides a dedicated link to 2018 spring / summer positions and this service is provided entirely for free. This site will also form the basis for our student recruitment activities and yet there are virtually no listings.

Maybe I am wrong and labour shortages are no longer a concern, but of course we all know that is not the case. If you want your business to be showcased in the coming months and have your opportunities top of mind with all prospective employees and students then you must take the time to upload potential positions. We are on the road on the 22nd of October...If you are on the site by then you will be right there with us.

Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO

Manic Monday | Our lives can change in seconds...

It has been one week since hundreds of people saw their lives change in just 11 minutes.

One gunman, many rounds of ammunition, 58 deaths, and the futures of so many people altered forever.

People across the continent have been affected whether directly or indirectly.  The sadness and senselessness of this event is only underscored by the increasing frequency of these horrific incidents. This Thanksgiving, I could not let the Las Vegas shootings of last week go unmentioned.

Today as you go about your activities, take a moment to remember just how fleeting life is and how quickly it can change.  Take time for gratitude and appreciation as you spend time with your family, your friends, or if you are spending time to reflect alone. Thank someone for a gesture of kindness no matter how small be thankful even the most mundane things in your world as they can be the most precious

Life can change in a second.....

Happy Thanksgiving

Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO

Manic Monday | The only constant is change....

As we watch temperatures dropping rapidly from our unseasonably warm summer there is a sense that more than just a change in the weather is afoot. A feeling, real or imagined, that larger and more dramatic shifts are in the offing and things as we have known them are beginning to alter for the long term.  Many of us have heard the phrase "the only constant is change" but never before have I felt such an unsettled feeling that what we are experiencing is unprecedented in magnitude, complexity and at an unusually fast pace. It has caused me to lose more than my fair share of sleep in the past few weeks as I have mused about where this is leading in the coming decade.

Certainly it would be naive to think that what we have been witnessing in the weather throughout the world is not only a dramatic departure from anything reasonable and normal but that how we begin to prepare for, react to and adapt is going to be equally important and require collective thought, imagination, creativity and difficult choices.

As many of you know TOTA has embarked program whereby we are being audited for a Tourism Sustainability Accreditation with Biosphere and the Responsible Tourism Institute. This program, which is aligned with the UNWTO, is a first step in protecting our region for the long term to ensure the health of our tourism products and experiences for our visitors and our residence. As we watch the effects of over tourism in locations around the world we have the unique opportunity to work together now to put in place a structure that will prevent the devastating overuse and overcrowding that is being experienced in so many popular tourism destinations.  

In the coming weeks we hope you will be inspired to become engaged in meetings, conversations and planning sessions that TOTA will be hosting as we work with industry to create a road map to ensure Sustainable Tourism practices in our region.

We are also very pleased to have Patricio Azcarate Diaz de Losada, Director of the Responsible Tourism Institute joining us as a speaker at this years AGM and Summit taking place November 1st and 2nd in Kamloops. We hope many of you will take the time to join us for those two days and to make time to meet Patricio and have dialogue on the importance of this initiative.

It may be true that the only constant is change, but it is also true that we have the power to effect change...positive change and we have that opportunity now.

Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO

Manic Monday | You could always just stay home…

November 1st and 2nd you could always stay home, watch reruns of Game of Thrones, catch up on the never-ending deluge of emails or simply have a pyjama day or two getting well deserved rest after a busy summer season. OR...you could make the most of those two late fall days and join us in Kamloops for this year’s TOTA AGM and Summit.

We can't promise you that you will leave the event feeling rested, in fact we can almost guarantee that won't happen. We can, however, promise that you will walk away with insights you definitely hadn't anticipated as we bring you presentations by several of our Canadian partners, as well as our new Sustainability partner, Biosphere, who will be joining us from Spain.  We can also promise you that you will feel a renewed sense of enthusiasm and engagement in our industry, its potential and your role in ensuring the Thompson Okanagan Region is a destination of choice for the long term.

"Aligning Forces", this year’s conference theme, means exactly that. We will only succeed together, working cohesively, in collaboration moving collectively in same direction. We can be a notable force and there is no doubt we are making a difference to the economy of British Columbia which our dramatic new research undeniably confirms. Aligning our businesses together with our federal, provincial and municipal bodies is the only way for the tourism industry to survive and thrive. These are critical and timely discussions we need to have and our Summit will provide those opportunities.

Will you also manage to have a little fun along the way and get in some networking with industry colleagues...well that part is entirely up to you. We do have it on very good authority however that Tourism Kamloops, together with Rocky Mountaineer, are planning a very special opening night reception with an exceptional prize package that you won't want to miss out on.

The choice is yours ....you could always stay home ...

Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO

Manic Monday | If you don't get involved you only have yourself to blame....

Over the past several weeks we have been forwarding a variety of chances to participate to stakeholders related to numerous upcoming opportunities that are being hosted or co-hosted through TOTA and our partners at Destination BC, AtBC, go2HR, and Southern Queensland Country.  I wanted to take this week's Manic Monday to recap all of these exciting programs and plans for this fall that are available for you to consider.  From marketing planning to education, regional development, employee recruitment, business knowledge sharing and networking, it will be a very busy and productive fall and one you should be sure to be part of. If you want more information, any one of the TOTA team will be happy to provide you with further details or will steer you toward someone who can help.

Destination Development Destination BC, together with TOTA, will be continuing to host workshops around the province towards the completion of a Provincial Tourism Strategy.  The next phase in our region will take place in the Okanagan with sessions being held September 19th and 20th in Kelowna and Summerland. For more information or to register to attend, please contact Mike Overend at industrysupport@totabc.com

Post Wildfire Marketing Recovery Program
Community Tourism Representatives are invited to meet in Kelowna this Friday to bring together collective ideas for a post wildfire marketing recovery plan. We ask all communities to provide input to this meeting either through their attendance in person or by forwarding thoughts and recommendations for regional marketing activities. Stakeholders are also asked to forward recommendations toward the development of this plan which can be forwarded by email to Ellen Walker-Matthews at industry@totabc.com

Remarkable Experiences Program Now in its 3rd year, we are very pleased to advise that there will be three separate workshops in the region this year. The first a "community cluster" will take place in October and November hosted by the community corridor including Sun Peaks, Kamloops and the Shuswap.  Our second cluster focused on "Culinary" will take place in December and January while the details for the final cluster are still being developed. For more information or to register, contact your one of the three Community Tourism Associations or Ellen Walker-Matthews at industry@totabc.com

Employee Recruitment - AlbertaOctober will see go2HR and TOTA together with a group of industry stakeholders travel to Alberta to commence recruiting for next summers employees.  If you are not joining us on the trip, be sure to have jobs posted at the go2HR Job Board. We will be promoting all of the jobs posted throughout the region and we hope that every interested student will find possible jobs waiting for them in the Thompson Okanagan. For questions or more information on how and where to post your 2018 opportunities, contact Ginger Brunner at gbrunner@go2hr.ca

TOTA AGM and Summit Save the Date. This years Annual TOTA Summit and AGM will be held in Kamloops November 1st and 2nd and has an excellent line up of speakers on trending topics, current industry issues and practical hands on information that you can put in to practice immediately. Watch for registration opening this week.

Business on Tour - Stakeholder Business Exchange to AustraliaEver consider that there might be some creative new thinking in the land Down Under? You can find out first hand this November as TOTA takes a group of Stakeholders to Southern Queensland Country to meet with like minded tourism operators who share an uncanny similarity to ourselves but how they approach their challenges you may find unique and refreshing and you will definitely bring home new ways of approaching issues. Make sure to let us know you are interested as availability is limited. Contact Glenn Mandziuk ceo@totabc.com

We hope that one or many of the options available this fall will motivate you to take part. We want and need your insight, opinion and information and we guarantee you that you  will learn not only from the presentations and facilitators but the numerous industry partners that you will meet along the way.

Get Involved....what is the worst thing that can happen if you do?

Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO

Manic Monday | Hold your spot....."We are heading to the land down under"!

If you know the rest of the words to that song, you know that we are planning a trip to Australia and have a tremendous opportunity for some of our stakeholders to come along!

Southern Queensland Country shares many of the attributes of the Thompson Okanagan. They are an inland region in Eastern Australia that draws their visitors from two major coastal cities. They have a burgeoning wine industry, are actively developing first nations products, stage many successful festivals and events and have an incredible Rail Trail product that they are continuing to upgrade to world class standards. Their stakeholder base, like ours, is primarily entrepreneurial and very hard working small business owners and operators

Several years ago TOTA solidified a relationship with the Tourism Authority in this region and CEO's from both organizations took part in phase one of the initiative which involved an exchange of information travelling and speaking to their respective boards and meeting with stakeholders.  In 2016, employees from both of the tourism offices engaged in a work exchange program and this fall the program will be coming full circle as we offer a stakeholder business exchange tour.

This business exchange is designed to provide Stakeholders an opportunity to meet with like-minded business operators; provide education, information, problem solving opportunities and innovation.  It is a chance to stand back and look at how things are done on the other side of the world, compare best practices and share ideas. In our experience to date there are many takeaways and much to be gained from learning from each other. We can promise there will also be some fun along the way and a chance to get to know the spirit of our good friends and neighbours in the land of Auz...

The "Business On Tour" will take place from November 12th - 21st, 2017 with opportunity to extend your stay on either side. We are working on bringing the full program to participants at a greatly reduced cost with assistance and support from our partners at Air Canada, Southern Queensland Country and their respective tourism stakeholders.  Details for the exchange are being finalized however we encourage you register your interest with us today and we will be in contact with you directly to discuss further.

"We heading to the land down under".....and we sure hope you will join us!

Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO

Manic Monday | September - Time for a New Year

I don't think I’m alone when I say that September has always felt more like the beginning of a new year than January.

When the calendar rolled over to the "1st" last Friday if felt as though life had resumed some sense of normalcy, an order or sorts after the chaos of summer. Children returning to school, causing adults to fall into a more structured routine and an overall renewed sense of commitment to what lie ahead, what must be accomplished in the coming "year".

Perhaps it is the result of those formative 12++ years when this time always meant the purchase of supplies; new pencils, pens, books, binders and sometimes even new clothes. For me it is the memory of the untouched pages and pages of white lined sheets of notebook paper just begging to be written upon. The promise of a fresh start, a new beginning and the possibility of what the future might hold.

Tomorrow we at TOTA will again begin a "new year" and there is a laundry list of work to be done. First and foremost we will be working closely with Destination BC and our Stakeholders to drive fall visitation that will hope to build back some of the losses from this summer and also as important ensure the message in the consumers’ minds as the summer ends is shifted from negative images to more positive ones. The Destination Development Planning meetings commence this month in many areas of the region and province, the Remarkable Experiences Workshops will start again in October and we will continue our ongoing work with Rail Trails, Indigenous Tourism and the Sustainability Accreditation for the region. You may be asked to participate in many of these upcoming initiatives as well as joining us in Alberta to recruit future employees, Kamloops to attend the TOTA AGM and Summit and Australia to meet with like-minded businesses and discuss best practices.

This Labour Day Monday take a moment to reflect on the summer of 2017. It certainly threw its share of curve balls and some of our region are still not finished dealing with them. It was the summer of our 150th confederation and it was a summer that won't be forgotten soon, but we will all move on, we will come back from the challenges and as we will start this "new year" working harder than ever to align our teams and prepare for whatever comes our way.

Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO