New Business Supports Now Available for Thompson Okanagan Tourism Businesses
Happy autumn and welcome to October. With the changing of the seasons, the TOTA and BC Tourism Resiliency Network teams have prepared several new business support programs to assist tourism businesses. The programs are available free of charge for Thompson Okanagan tourism companies.
We encourage you and your team members to register as soon as possible, to take advantage of these programs while they are available.
Supports include:
Thompson Okanagan Wildfire Resilience Roundtable this Tuesday
Decade of Action Program: Building a Sustainable Future for BC Tourism - Apply by October 8
Business Mentorship Sessions with Okanagan College Instructors
BCRTS Tourism Summit 2021 - November 3 & 4
Hospitality Professional Program - Apply by October 29
TOTA Complimentary Energy Assessments & FortisBC Equipment Rebate Support
Change Management Webinar Recording & Skill Building Exercises
Read on to learn the details of the support programs and how to register your company. Feel free to forward this email to anyone who may benefit from these services.
- The TOTA Team
Upcoming Opportunities
Thompson Okanagan Wildfire Resilience Roundtable
Virtual | October 5, 10 AM - 11 AM
The British Columbia Tourism Resiliency Network is hosting a virtual Wildfire Resilience Roundtable for the Thompson Okanagan region on Tuesday, October 5 from 2 PM to 3 PM. The session will begin with a wildfire scenario developed from the guest perspective, tailored to reflect the realistic and relevant needs of the region.
In this roundtable session, you'll learn more about:
Developing a shared understanding of the impacts a wildfire may have on guests
How messaging can influence guest confidence and safety
Generating a repository of solutions or resources that either currently exist or could be developed to support guests and tourism operators
Decade of Action Program: Building a Sustainable Future for BC Tourism
Virtual | Apply by October 8, 2021
The Decade of Action Program: Building a Sustainable Future for BC Tourism through the UN Sustainable Development Goals is a virtual capacity-building program to support businesses across B.C. to create a Sustainable Development Goal Strategy and Decade of Action Plan.
Decade of Action Seminar (Tuesday, October 19, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM PST)
Business Action Planning and One-on-One Coaching Calls (October - December)
Decade of Action Showcase (Thursday, November 18, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM PST)
Learn how to align your sustainability efforts with the Sustainable Development Goals, set targets for the future, and drive meaningful results for your guests, company, and community.
Free Business Mentorship Sessions with Okanagan College Instructors
Virtual | One on one
Okanagan College instructors are available to deliver virtual, one-hour individually tailored business counselling sessions based on expressed areas of need.
This service is offered free of charge through the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Resiliency Program, for a limited time. Mentors can provide support on a variety of leadership soft skills, business administration, and hospitality topics.
To access the service, register for the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Resiliency Program and schedule a Discovery Call with a TOTA Advisor.
If you have already registered for the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Resiliency Program, you can sign up for Expert Business Mentorship and schedule your first meeting with an Okanagan College mentor.
BCRTS Tourism Summit 2021
Virtual | November 3 & 4, 2021
On November 3 and 4, come together as a tourism community to learn from everything we've been through and think differently about how we can co-create a vibrant and resilient tourism industry in BC. The BCRTS Tourism Summit 2021 is a joint virtual event, in collaboration with the five regional destination management organizations of the British Columbia Regional Tourism Secretariat (BCRTS) and the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC).
The BCRTS Tourism Summit 2021 is open to all tourism stakeholders and GSTC members at no cost.
Hospitality Professional Program - Fully Funded Training for New & Underemployed Tourism Professionals Hosted by TOTA & Okanagan College
Virtual | Winter 2021/2022
Application Deadline: November 28, 2021
Do you know current hospitality professionals looking to build on their hospitality management career by further developing their skills, knowledge and connections? Someone eager to develop the tools and resources necessary to thrive in the evolving world of hospitality?
TOTA, in partnership with Okanagan College, is offering the fully funded Hospitality Professional Program to unemployed, seasonal, part-time, and casual workers.
This 28-week LIVE online learning program pairs practical, unique and intensive hospitality skills training with key industry certifications so participants can jump into a supervisory position in 2022.
Ongoing Opportunities
Tourism Resiliency Business Support Services
The TOTA team is here to help with the challenges your business is facing. As part of TOTA's Tourism Resiliency Program tourism companies can access the following free supports:
Register for 1:1 Business Support with a TOTA Resiliency Advisor.
Submit a Voice Your Concerns form so TOTA can share the impacts on the tourism industry with government.
Email Recovery@TOTABC.com for quick questions or to share challenges faced by your business.
TOTA Complimentary Energy Assessments & FortisBC Equipment Rebate Support
TOTA is offering complimentary virtual energy assessments and free one-on-one equipment rebate consultations to Thompson Okanagan tourism companies that are serviced by FortisBC. The goal is to help businesses reduce their energy-related operating and capital expenses, energy consumption, and carbon footprint.
TOTA’s Energy Analyst can assist in choosing the right equipment eligible for rebates, submitting a rebate application to FortisBC, and guide you throughout the process.
To book your complimentary virtual energy assessment or to find out if your business is eligible for rebates, book a free appointment with TOTA's Energy Analyst.
Accommodation Accessibility Features Survey
Accommodators (resorts, hotels, motels, B&B) in the Thompson Okanagan region are invited to share information about the accessibility features of their venue.
Please take a few moments to fill out this survey to better help us identify the accessible accommodations available in the Thompson Okanagan region.
Change Management Webinar Recording & Skill Building Exercises
COVID-19 and climate change have caused frequent disruptions and major changes to the workplace for tourism and hospitality businesses. As this trend of change will likely continue, business leaders can prepare by developing a dynamic and resilient team.
Watch the webinar recording by Angela Pomeroy, Engagement and Leadership Development Consultant and Okanagan College professor, for insights on the principles of Change Management, followed by a pre-recorded video with exercises to develop change management skills for individuals or teams.
Introduction to Sustainable Tourism Presentation
TOTA’s Destination Stewardship team offers 30-minute virtual presentations to share how tourism businesses can work towards sustainable tourism through TOTA's Biosphere Commitment Program.
