Manic Monday | You Aren't Just What You Wear but Who You Are Representing

Recently while traveling I happened to be sitting next to a uniformed employee who was clearly not working but in transit. I don't know if they had just finished a shift or if their day was about to begin, the fact was, that they were in full uniform complete with name tag and credentials.

Taking a seat next to them I made a couple of casual comments, not intending to make small talk but briefly commenting, positively, on their organization. My attempt at conversation was met with complete disdain, a relatively unintelligible comment, and body language which clearly indicated they were disinterested in any further dialogue. Somewhat taken aback, and even a bit shocked, I turned to my phone as we all do and buried myself in my emails and ignoring them for the balance of the short journey. However, days later I continue to not only ponder the behavior of this ill-mannered individual but to have commented on it with many friends and again, here, in Manic.

Call me old fashioned, but to my way of thinking whether you consider yourself to be on duty or off, you are a representative of your organization when you are wearing their clothing. The attitude this individual displayed not only reflects poorly on them as a professional but additionally caused me to consider the company they work for in a slightly different light. It actually was damaging to the company brand. Imagine all the time, money and effort that goes into creating a brand image only to have it as an employee, in this case, a walking billboard, tarnish that brand so quickly and completely. I liken it to meeting your favorite comedian only to find out that in person they are rude, or worse yet, angry as opposed to funny.

It is something that needs to be considered in the training and development of new employees and a reminder for those that have been around for a while.  We are the company, an integral part of the brand, any time we are wearing company clothing. We are what we wear and who we are representing and if that messaging cannot be controlled other options need to be considered.

Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO

Manic Monday | Building a Responsible Sustainable Tourism Industry

Every day the momentum for building a Responsible Sustainable Tourism Industry continues to expand and we are very pleased to announce that our partners at GreenStep Solutions have launched Sustainable Tourism 2030.

This initiative,10 years in the making, will continue to assist the tourism industry with guidance and support in understanding how they are measuring up in their sustainability efforts and will assist them in identifying where and how to make necessary changes and improvements. Foundational to the program is a free online scorecard that can be found at www.sustainabletourism2030.com that can assist businesses in their initial benchmarking.

TOTA will be working closely with Green Step Solutions to see this measurement tool move forward and become widely adopted by our own stakeholders while we continue to advance our industry's commitment to sustainability through our Biosphere Adhension committed companies program.

For more information or to join us on our Sustainable Journey contact Mike Overend at industrysupport@totabc.com

Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO

Manic Monday | TOTA Announces Rural Dividend Grant

On behalf of the TOTA Board of Directors and our staff and management, we wish to thank the Minister of Citizen's Services, the Honorable Jinny Sims who joined us in Kelowna last Friday at our TOTA office to formally announce our recent receipt of a Rural Dividend Grant.

These funds from this grant will be utilized to enhance our Route 97 Visitor Inspiration Centre, and together with our Indigenous Communities in the Thompson Okanagan to ensure the stories, history, and culture of our Interior Salish people are appropriately represented.

We appreciate this opportunity to welcome visitors to our region and provide them with a broader perspective on the Thompson Okanagan and the rich Indigenous history which has shaped our region.

Keep watching as the transformation begins and again our sincere thank you to the Minister for their ongoing support.

Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO

Manic Monday | What if you could implement a win, win, win, win initiative?

Attracting and retaining employees has long been a challenge in many industries and with tourism being so labour intensive it has always been a critical issue. Many things contribute to employee retention but there are some new and unique ideas starting to gain momentum.

One emerging trend in employee benefits is the concept of employers supporting the volunteerism efforts of their team. Employees are encouraged as individuals, departments or groups to offer their time and in some cases, their expertise for the betterment of communities, near or far and the citizens who live there. In turn, employers reward them for doing so. Initiatives can range from cleaning local beaches to building homes in 3rd world countries, helping with a hot meal program at a local school to helping in an African orphanage and everything in between.

Time donated by Individual employees is tracked and recognized by the organization in a variety of different ways. The business itself is also able to measure the total contribution as an organization that has been donated for the betterment of others. Differentiating themselves as an employer who cares.

This story is truly a win, win, win, win.  Not only do communities and individuals who are in need, benefit, but recent studies indicate that programs like these can reduce employee turnover by as much as 57%.  Employees feel better about themselves and about the company they work for and take pride in knowing their employer cares. Consumers do too and more and more millennials want to purchase from philanthropic-minded companies.

If you think this is something your company could benefit from there are businesses that can help you get started. In our own region, one such company is  Do Some Good, developed by local business partners.

What do you have to lose.....with a win, win, win, win initiative? It seems to me you have only got the opportunity to gain....

Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO

Manic Monday | Finding our Place at the Place Marketing Forum

Last week I was very honored to be in attendance to receive the International Place Marketing Award at the 7th Annual Place Marketing Forum hosted, this year, in Lille France. The Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association received this honor in recognition of our ongoing work in Responsible Sustainable Tourism and as part of this recognition I was also recognized as a Laureate by Aix Masielle University; both tremendous honors.

Awards are presented in five separate categories with the jury making their selection based on three areas of criteria including Innovation, Remarkable Results, and Emblematic Projects. In the Tourism Category, we were up against outstanding competitors including Amsterdam, Brand USA, Kenya Tourism Board, Australia, Denmark and three separate submissions from France.

The conference format is conducted in the same way each year where there is a presentation of the Remarkable Case followed by round table discussions and debate and finally the presentation of the Award.

Since its inception in 2013 there have been a total of 42 Laureates presented with the Place Marketing Award and as of April 4th, 2019 we can be very proud to be recognized within this prestigious international group.

Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO

Manic Monday | Who knew there was a month for wine? It's April...No Foolin!

For the past few years, April has been recognized as BC Wine Month.  What this means for all of us who enjoy the odd glass or even bottle of BC's best is there are more opportunities than ever to try locally produced wines from vintners large and small.

Liquor stores will be promoting and carrying more BC products and throughout the province, special events, contests, and activities will be taking place at wineries, restaurants, hotels, through wine tour companies and as part of the many regional wine routes. All focused on recognizing, celebrating and elevating this province incredible wines. For more on the events taking place go to https://winebc.com/bc-wine-month/.

We should all be very proud of our of how far this industry has come and the ongoing recognition our wines receive both here at home and on the world stage. What better time to show your support, than April. Having said that any month is BC Wine Month this is just a great time to buy local and try new products.

Who knew there was a month for Wine....? #BCWINEMONTH

Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO

Manic Monday | It is easier than ever to be GREEN!

Our partners at Green Step have been working hard on a Business Recycling Education Program that started back in 2017.

Their hard work has culminated in the creation of tool-kits to help three distinct groups; businesses, multi-family buildings, and festivals/events. These resources will assist in better recycling practices and increase waste diversion. The toolkits are available on the Regional District’s website at the following link:

http://www.rdos.bc.ca/departments/public-works/solid-waste/business-and-multi-family-recycling/

Toolkits contain helpful and useful guidance, best practice examples, and free resources for anyone to download and use. Each toolkit contains a how-to guide, signage and colour scheme best practices, signage examples, and many other resources.

We encourage you to please share the link and attached news release with your network, and let us and Green Step know when and how you can get it out so they can report back to the RDOS.

For more information on the Business Education Program, contact Cameron Baughen at the RDOS (cbaughen@rdos.bc.ca, 250-490-4203)

Again, congratulations to Green Step in moving this forward and making it easier than ever to be Green.

Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO

Manic Monday | Honoured to Be In Outstanding Company

Last week, on the heels of a tremendous Tourism Industry Conference in Vancouver, I had the honour to be asked to a private dinner with Calin Rovinescu, President & CEO of Air Canada together with industry, education and sector leaders to discuss the BC economy’s challenges and opportunities.  Being able to share the great work of our tourism industry here in the Thompson Okanagan and opportunities to grow the market was such an honour. Special thanks to Craig Richmond, CEO of the Vancouver Airport Authority and the entire Air Canada team for putting on such an inspiring and thoughtful evening.

Then with our TOTA Board Chair, Frank Antoine, and others from the region, I headed to ITB Berlin, widely considered to be the world’s preeminent Travel Trade Show. The predominance of the dialogue at the Show, from every corner of the globe, centred on the issues of responsible sustainable tourism, whether it be development, measurement, monitoring or management.

Throughout the course of the week, Frank and I attended many thought-provoking sessions and met with tourism leaders from around the world who are actively focusing on these important issues. We had many opportunities to put the Thompson Okanagan forward and underscore our commitments to sustainability and to recognize and showcase all of the hard work our collective industry partners and stakeholders are doing in this region.  Our message is definitely being heard.

The Show had numerous highlights for us, far too many to outline here, however, there are some that definitely stood out.   We were honoured to have an opportunity to meet one on one with Dr Dirk Glaesser, Director for Sustainable Development of Tourism for the World Tourism Organization (WTO). We discussed opportunities for our region to form a long term partnership and engage with research programs that will enable us to better measure the impact of sustainable tourism development activities that are currently underway.

Later in the week, we joined  Lonneke de Kort,  CEO of Bookdifferent.com to formalize our formal partnership agreement which will see our organizations working together to develop a series of pilot digital promotional and research projects. In addition, this relationship is designed to ensure the Thompson Okanagan Region and its Biosphere Adhesion committed communities and businesses will be featured on their site.

We then signed a formal Tourism Development and Cultural Partnership MOU between TOTA and the Emerging Tourism Enterprises Association of Namibia, Africa.  This extraordinary opportunity will enable us to share best practices on sustainability, social development, and cultural tourism.

Frank was also a keynote speaker at the Berlin Economic Forum at the Institute of Cultural Diversity sharing the Region’s indigenous story and the power of cultural tourism in the reconciliation process.

And finally yes... there was an awards evening and we are very proud and pleased to share that the Thompson Okanagan Region ranked 2nd as the Top Green Destination in the Americas by the Global Green Destinations Organization. Our congratulations to Galapagos National Park, Ecuador who ranked first.

Believe me when I say just how honoured we were to be in such outstanding company.

Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO

Manic Monday | A Strategic Framework for Tourism in BC

Attending last week’s Tourism Industry Conference in Vancouver, hosted annually by TIABC, it was apparent that our industry has come of age and is definitely being taken seriously. With record attendance, a tremendous line up of speakers and insightful, thought-provoking breakout sessions (many that were standing room only), things felt different.

And... the numbers don't lie.  Destination BC's CEO Marsha Walden and the Minister for Tourism Arts and Culture, Lisa Beare were both in attendance presenting the irrefutable facts. The BC Tourism industry contributed 9 billion dollars to province’s GDP in 2017, it employs over 137,000 people in over 19,000 tourism-related experiences and in 2018 welcomed over 6 million visitors from around the world. Tourism is the province’s 3rd largest industry with year over year revenues continuing to climb and to outpace the rest of Canada.

The most significant announcement of the week, however, was the release of the Provincial Government’s New 3 year Strategic Framework for Tourism in BC. This critical roadmap highlights the important role that tourism must play in supporting People and Communities; Sustainably Growing the Visitor Economy; and Respecting Nature and the Environment. Focusing on all three of these pillars will ensure that the tourism industry not only continues to grow but does so in a way that recognizes its responsibility to all British Columbians.

To read the full document go to: Strategic Framework for Tourism In BC

Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO

Manic Monday | Print is not Dead...in fact, it is actually back...

As we get ever closer to the near the end of the sales period for our Annual TOTA Regional Tourism Guide - Route 97, I am very encouraged by the support of over 100 of our stakeholders, large and small, who are committed to this program and recognize the long term and important potential of the Route 97 initiative.

For those who may still be of the opinion that "print is dead" others, such as online giant, Mediaplanet say not true. The sentiment that print is dying has been quickly changing and many well-respected media outlets suggest that print is not only back but it is also a better way to ensure your message is heard. Quite simply put, print had to find it's rightful place within the media spectrum, and it has done so and done it effectively.

In a direct quote from The Columbia Journalism Review, print  is now emerging as the “new media."  Their article sites that print has shown to be the right choice as it

1. Cuts through the clutter

2. Is tangible

3. Fits a  strong component of a diverse, cross-platform strategy

4. Is beautiful

5. and .... Print is now novel

We have definitely witnessed the resurgence of print with the Route 97 publication as it continues to be oversubscribed in our visitor centres not only in this province but throughout North Central Washington. In the words of many visitor counsellors ..." it flies off the shelf".

It is also important to understand why our region has this campaign. Route 97, is the longest north-south corridor in North America and the Interiors' north to Alaska option for travellers. Our Route 97 program encourages visitors to make the choice to travel through this area of British Columbia, providing suggestions to explore the region and providing many optional loops and routes that can and will enhance their trip. The intention is to continue to motivate travellers to move away from the more well known I5 corridor and offer up a multitude of reasons to travel inland instead.

For those that have made the choice to participate; Outstanding!  We believe in this campaign and its ability to drive traffic to our region. For those that are not yet involved we encourage you to relook at this opportunity before we go to print. Route 97 -  2019 will have a new look and feel with more area maps and suggested experiences and itineraries which we know is sure to have an even greater response from our travellers.

 Print is not Dead...in fact, it is actually back...

Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO

Manic Monday | Thompson Okanagan recognized as Top 100 Sustainable Destinations

The Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association is very pleased to announce that the Thompson Okanagan region is recognized as one of the Top 100 Sustainable Destinations Worldwide by Green Destinations and a finalist in the Best of the Americas Awards to be presented at ITB In Berlin, Germany in March.

I’m so proud of the tourism community Destination Marketing Organization leaders, Industry stakeholders, and partners in this Region who continue to pursue forward-thinking work to ensure the long term health of our visitor economy and the viability of the many natural and cultural assets that drive it.

Consumers of today, and into the future, are recognizing and expecting that all industries, including Tourism, act in a manner that is socially, environmentally, and economically responsible.   Rest assured, these consumers and travelers will vote with their wallets and travel and invest their dollars in places that take this movement seriously.

To be considered, the Thompson Okanagan was rigorously reviewed and required to demonstrate and provide evidence on how the Region complies with the 100 globally recognized criteria of the Green Destination Standard.  While each of the Top 100 Destinations worldwide on the list knows that there is much more work to be done, this list represents an ongoing and growing commitment by tourism destinations to acknowledge and act on the importance of Sustainability and Responsible Tourism development and delivery.

Green Destinations is a non-profit foundation for sustainable tourism, leading a global Partnership of expert organizations, companies, and academic institutions. The Sustainable Top 100 Destination Awards are supported by ITB Berlin, Green Destinations, TravelMole, Travelife, and ten other organizations.

Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO

Manic Monday | Be thankful, be gracious and be patient

It was unbelievable to see so much rock came down on Highway 97 north of Summerland over the past 10 days and even more incredible that no one was injured.

The magnitude of the fault running 50 meters in both directions of the original slide location can hardly be fathomed. As someone who travels this route often, I am most grateful that the situation has been discovered and is being handled.

As such,  I wanted to take this Manic Monday moment to shout out to all of those individuals who have been working tirelessly, in some of our worst weather, on these dangerous and unstable slopes. While much of the talk and news is focused on timing for reopening, the inconvenience of the detours and the effect on local economies, all true points, very little is said about the truly courageous people who are scaling that mountainside and trying to deal with the situation at hand.

I can tell for certain that you would never see me doing that work, and I venture to say that most of you reading this feel the same way. So we should all be incredibly grateful that there are those that are not afraid to take on this challenge. Like our firefighters, in the summer, these crews get up each day and put themselves in harm's way for the benefit of the community, for the benefit of all of us. Left to me to do the work, the road would not be closed indefinitely it would be closed forever. So once again, thank you.

I would also like to take a moment to mention all those that worked to open the forestry access road 201. It is well marked, graded, sanded and was made passable very quickly after the slide occurred. This route, while definitely longer, is an excellent option and the only thing dangerous about it is some of the drivers who find it necessary to speed, pass, and put others in danger, not very impressive behavior.

To all those who have and continue to work on the detour access and the slide area, thank you so much for the work you do. To those traveling these routes, be thankful, be gracious and be patient. Don't be the problem.

Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO

Manic Monday | Can you really afford to not attend...

It's almost unbelievable that it has already been a year since the TIABC annual conference was hosted here in our region. This year the conference is being held in Vancouver from February 27 - March 1st and there is still plenty of time to register.  While there is always a multitude of excuses as to why you cannot attend, there are some very important reasons that you should be there.

TIABC is our voice, they are the advocate for the Tourism Industry and it is critical that they are fully informed on the many issues that will shape our industry for the future. As a collective group, it is imperative that we get involved, participate, communicate and ensure that our thoughts and concerns are aligned with the Association and that they have clear direction from all industry sectors. This conference is one of those opportunities. While it is most certainly educational with excellent speakers and timely topics, it is also a prime opportunity to dialogue with colleagues, partners and government and TIABC itself.

This year's theme is "Maximum Impact. Endless Potential"  and it is sure to stimulate discussion and debate. Tourism is continuing to be challenged by a number of issues including how to best deal with the sharing economy, over-tourism, taxation, flood and wildfire mitigation, and management and the list goes on.  But you have a choice;  you can choose to stay home and keep your opinions to yourself or you can make sure your voice is heard, take a stand, take action. So again I ask the question..can you really afford not to attend?

Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO

Manic Monday | New Look, New Feel, New Year!

Two weeks into this new year and we already have a number of exciting changes lined up. The first, which you can see here, is a brand new look for Manic Monday. Of course, I will still be sending out my weekly musings along with a few highlights from the News Centre, but we wanted to freshen up things and start the New Year off right. Over the coming weeks, there will be other changes too, as we update our logo, launch a new corporate website and revamp the News Centre. Our goal is to make sure that all the information you need is easily accessible and our online sites are simple to navigate.

Keep watching as TOTA takes on many new and exciting initiatives in 2019

New Look New Feel, New Opportunities!

Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO

Manic Monday | Eleven Years to Turn our World Around

Some of the smartest minds have made it very clear;  "We have 11 years in which we must make dramatic changes to our behaviors in order to keep our world alive"; literally.  As the earth heats up, glaciers melt and the oceans temperature increase the scientific world has stated that warming must be capped at 1.5 degrees.

In Canada, we may think we are protected from the predicted catastrophic events which some parts of the world may experience but be certain we will be affected.

What we can do as Canadians may seem to be minuscule when we look at the challenge that faces countries around the globe but the only way this works is if everyone takes responsibility.

One speaker I heard recently suggested we employ "World War II" tactics which would stress the seriousness of the situation. Canadians at home during this war took an active role in supporting the war effort even though they were far from the front lines.

For our part, TOTA's work in sustainable responsible tourism development and delivery is our first step in actioning on this critical issue. We are taking steps in our work with stakeholders and partners and in our own day to day activities. We encourage you to learn more and work with us on building awareness, changing behavior and showing support.

Take it seriously or ignore the warnings; either way, it appears the debate is going to be ending soon and we will all know how this story ends. 2030; it is just 11 years away and a very short time to turn this world around.

Here are a few things to consider as the world gets warmer;
https://news.sky.com/story/what-will-happen-as-the-world-gets-warmer-10336299

Staying Connected with TOTA….

With the New Year Upon us we want to take this time to thank all of our Tourism Stakeholders, Tourism Partners and Communities for all of your support in 2018. It has been a year of change, challenge, reward, and success for our tourism industry as we dealt with everything from politics to pipelines and floods to fire.

If you have been working with us in the past we once again want to thank you and invite you to get involved with TOTA in 2019. Here are but a few important opportunities that I encourage you to consider;

• Become involved in our Biosphere Program

• Participate in the Route97 Initiatives including both Print and Online

• Obtain and Utilize Big Data research through our Symphony Partner

• Nov 12-15, 2019 - Save the date for the 2019 TOTA AGM and Summit which will take place as part of International Indigenous Tourism Conference (IITC) and Indigenous Tourism British Columbia’s (ITBC)

• Put your business forward to our Trade and Media teams to host regional familiarization trips during the course of the year - contact Carla Young (media@totabc.com) or Ingrid Dilschneider (trade@totabc.com)

• Watch for news on regional events scheduled throughout the year

• We are all stronger together and we look forward to working closely with all of our stakeholders and partners in 2019

Keep following and contributing to TOTA’s Facebook and Twitter sites throughout the week; send us your stories, photos, events and remarkable experiences. Make sure the industry knows what is happening around our region and keep us updated on your road to sustainability, check out ThompsonOkanagan.com for more information.  Be sure to use #route97 and #explorebc when posting your tourism shots and stories.

Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO

Visitor Research Program Introduction

NEW Market and Visitor Research

Regional Information – Highlights FREE

The Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association Research Program now includes Thompson Okanagan regional visitor counts using TELUS Insights for the period January-December 2018. For 2019 we will be providing monthly updates to compare visitation from 2018 to 2019. Highlights will be posted here on Research Spotlight. Note: These counts exclude residents of the Thompson Okanagan Region.

Thompson Okanagan Research Spotlight 2018 Year in Review

Regional District Area Level Information – Community DMO Paid Program – Fees Apply

The TOTA Community Research Program provides Regional District Level visitor counts benchmarked against the Thompson Okanagan Region as a whole. TOTA continues to invest in Environics Analytics data which can be customized to create visitor profiles using the TELUS Insights data for our Community Research Program. The combination of these two sources of data provide unpresented visitor insights to our region.

Market Information – Canada and US – Fees Apply - Businesses, Communities, Events, etc.

Custom research services use Environics Analytics to provide either market profiles or visitor profiles using your customer postal codes. This research is available for communities, businesses, events, visitor centres, etc.

Custom visitor or market profiles you can choose from include:

1. Destination Canada’s Explorer Quotient Market Segmentation Program (EQ Type)

2. Sector – Choose from many including Hike, Bike, Culinary, Specific activities such as Camping/RV; Festivals and Events, etc.)

3. Custom Variables – Tell us about your target markets and we will develop custom personas

4. Social Values – Choose from thousands of variables in the system

Digital Campaigns

As part of TOTA’s new research program we offer digital campaign services in partnership with WAR ROOM who will execute and report on programmatic campaigns using the Environics Analytics targeted marketing resources to hyper-target in markets throughout the US and Canada.

Data and Privacy 

TELUS recognizes that Big Data comes with big responsibility to protect the privacy of individuals. They have implemented industry leading standards to protect privacy every step of the way through:

• De-Identification of data meaning it cannot be traced back to an individual.

• Aggregation of data into large data pools ensuring privacy is fully protected at all times.

• Data extrapolation to be representative of the total Canadian Population.

• By de-identifying and aggregating the data, it is possible to preform geographic and movement analysis, while respecting privacy.

TELUS has implemented industry-leading Privacy and Design standards to ensure that privacy is not compromised.

• All the data analyzed by TELUS Insights is de-identified, meaning it cannot be traced back to an individual.

• It is also aggregated into large data pools to reveal mass-movement patterns and trends, and extrapolated to be representative of the total Canadian population as a further means of ensuring their privacy is protected at all times.

• For further information, please visit:
  • telus.com/insights
  • Or Email: telusinsights@telus.com

For more information on Research or Fees for Services Contact:

Simone Carlysle-Smith, Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association, 
Managing Director for Symphony Tourism Services
sts@totabc.com
778-721-5448

Manic Monday | Self Driving Hotel....anything is possible

Anyone who knows me has heard this before; a New Year means a New Blank page upon which to write new stories.

Tomorrow, January 1st, 2019, is another new beginning and with it the unveiling of exciting opportunities, more changes, and challenges in how we will live, travel and experience the world.

I thought I would share a link that I received shortly before Christmas which really started me thinking about the possibilities that can and will lie in our future. Maybe it won't be this year or even in the next several but as the past has proven, change comes quickly, the impossible becomes possible and overnight we are accepting things that seem to come straight from science fiction.

For all those who dare to dream and are told their vision is not possible, take on those words as your challenge. Prove to those that do not dare to believe that they are wrong. Create, innovate, break what isn't broken and rebuild it, never take no for an answer and push the envelope to the point where it is unrecognizable.

It is the innovators that can and do change the world and I dare all of you to be one of them.

For now...enjoy this article which is introducing us to a bit of the future. Watch out hoteliers and all of us in the Tourism Industry...if a "self-driving hotel is possible ...who knows what else is possible

Staying Connected with TOTA…

With the New Year Upon us we want to take this time to thank all of our Tourism Stakeholders, Tourism Partners and Communities for all of your support in 2018. It has been a year of change, challenge, reward, and success for our tourism industry as we dealt with everything from politics to pipelines and floods to fire.

If you have been working with us in the past we once again want to thank you and invite you to get involved with TOTA in 2019. Here are but a few important opportunities that I encourage you to consider;

• Become involved in our Biosphere Program

• Participate in the Route97 Initiatives including both Print and Online

• Obtain and Utilize Big Data research through our Symphony Partner

• Nov 12-15, 2019 - Save the date for the 2019 TOTA AGM and Summit which will take place as part of International Indigenous Tourism Conference (IITC) and Indigenous Tourism British Columbia’s (ITBC)

• Put your business forward to our Trade and Media teams to host regional familiarization trips during the course of the year - contact Carla Young (media@totabc.com) or Ingrid Dilschneider (trade@totabc.com)

• Watch for news on regional events scheduled throughout the year

• We are all stronger together and we look forward to working closely with all of our stakeholders and partners in 2019

Keep following and contributing to TOTA’s Facebook and Twitter sites throughout the week; send us your stories, photos, events and remarkable experiences. Make sure the industry knows what is happening around our region and keep us updated on your road to sustainability, check out ThompsonOkanagan.com for more information.  Be sure to use #route97 and #explorebc when posting your tourism shots and stories.

Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO

Manic Monday | Take Time to Find the Joy in the Season

If you are reading this today December 24th, you are either likely very organized for the holidays and enjoying some well-deserved "relaxation"  or are ignoring the fact that you have so much to do before the events of tonight and tomorrow that you don't know where to start.

For many of us, this is the last day to get all the things done that we had planned to do for several weeks. This is the last minute shopping, which invariably means buying things that cost more than we intended as we realize we had forgotten that one person or one special item.  Usually, today involves trying to be in several places at the same time, trying to make any number of friends or family happy, and all the while not necessarily having much time or fun ourselves.

The Christmas Season is stressful for many, many people and emotional for so many others. This time of year brings out the very best and the very saddest of memories and few, if any of us, get through this life without experiencing both. The excitement and wonder that, in turn, can mean expectations and disappointment.  The ever-present financial concerns as we see our spending take on a "life of its own" and the fun that comes with handling the many family dynamics. There is the love of those around us and the memories of those who are here no longer.

This Christmas my wish for all of you as you go through the holidays is that you can find joy in the season in whatever way it presents itself.

And if by chance you find yourself taking part in the dreaded last minute shopping, remember a smile can mean so much not only to those around you but it will help your spirits be a bit merrier as well...

From all of us at the TOTA team to you - Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Staying Connected with TOTA…

With the holiday season upon us we want to take this time to thank all of our Tourism Stakeholders, Tourism Partners and Communities for all of your support in 2018. It has been a year of change, challenge, reward, and success for our tourism industry as we dealt with everything from politics to pipelines and floods to fire.

If you have been working with us in the past we once again want to thank you and invite you to get involved with TOTA in 2019. Here are but a few important opportunities that I encourage you to consider;

• Become involved in our Biosphere Program

• Participate in the Route97 Initiatives including both Print and Online

• Obtain and Utilize Big Data research through our Symphony Partner

• Nov 12-15, 2019 - Save the date for the 2019 TOTA AGM and Summit which will take place as part of International Indigenous Tourism Conference (IITC) and Indigenous Tourism British Columbia’s (ITBC)

• Put your business forward to our Trade and Media teams to host regional familiarization trips during the course of the year - contact Carla Young (media@totabc.com) or Ingrid Dilschneider  (trade@totabc.com)

• Watch for news on regional events scheduled throughout the year

• We are all stronger together and we look forward to working closely with all of our stakeholders and partners in 2019

Keep following and contributing to TOTA’s Facebook and Twitter sites throughout the week; send us your stories, photos, events and remarkable experiences. Make sure the industry knows what is happening around our region and keep us updated on your road to sustainability, check out ThompsonOkanagan.com for more information.  Be sure to use #route97 and #explorebc when posting your tourism shots and stories.

Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO

Manic Monday | This doesn't even take 15 minutes!

Parks Canada last week released a survey, available to all Canadians, enabling them to provide input into the National Park Reserve planned for an area in the South Okanagan-Similkameen region.

In a meeting in our region this past August, Federal Minister Catherine McKenna was very clear that that Park development would be moving forward, however, the government was committed to inviting Canadians to share their thoughts and ideas of what the new park reserve should look like. The attached survey is one of those opportunities.

The National Park Reserve has long been a dream for many in our region and the input process has been strongly supported by TOTA and our Board of Directors. It was very important during the recent process that the Osoyoos Indian Band, Lower Similkameen Indian Band, Provincial and Federal Governments all came together to make this Park process a priority.

Take the opportunity to participate in the process and help shape the development of this Park. The survey takes less than 15 minutes, but I can ensure you it is time well spent.

Go to:  www.letstalksouthokanagansimilkameen.ca

Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO

Manic Monday | A Year of Highs and Lows

It has certainly proven to be an interesting year for the Thompson Okanagan and as with all years, I suppose, it has had some good and bad moments.

One cannot reflect on the past year without recognizing the many challenges our stakeholders have coped with as a result of many natural occurrences ranging from severe high water, overland flooding, landslides as well as significant wildfire and smoke.

We have all worked together to try to mitigate the effects of these events and to draw attention to the many positive and unique aspects of the region that can be enjoyed outside of traditional high season periods.

Our marketing team has worked with some of the areas that have been affected this year and most recently produced an outstanding video for our Boundary Country who are still recovering from their floods this past spring.  This video is an excellent example of working in collaboration to assist an area and community with beginning to rebuild their messaging.  Please take the time to watch and share this video as we all continue to work closely to build a strong and successful tourism industry, which we know contains highs and lows.

Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO