News & Resources
The latest Thompson Okanagan tourism industry news from TOTA, tourism businesses, and communities.
Destination Canada’s Radical Ambassadors Visit the Thompson Okanagan
Destination Canada has created The Canada Specialist Program that entails bringing a select group of Australian Travel Agents to Canadian destinations with the mission of showcasing Canada, naturally to their networks. In fall 2025 TOTA in collaboration with Destination BC hosted this select group of travel agents in the region.
Destination Canada has created The Canada Specialist Program that entails bringing a select group of Australian Travel Agents to Canadian destinations with the mission of showcasing Canada, naturally to their networks. This fall, the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) in collaboration with Destination BC hosted this select group in the Thompson Okanagan.
The group began their adventure in Penticton then travelled north to Kelowna and ended in Vernon and then carried on to Vancouver and the Yukon.
This program offers the agents the opportunity to experience the destination they are selling and showcase it on their channels. The group was amazed by the vibrancy of an Okanagan fall and the kindness they found in the people they met along the way.
Read their recap of their adventures in their piece in KARRYON.
Thank you to the businesses and communities that helped us host this group.
Photos by Eunica Pineda and Monica Leeck
TOTA Team Hosts a Valleys and Vineyards Media Trip
The TOTA Marketing and Communications Team in collaboration with Destination BC hosted a group of top tier international media in the Thompson Okanagan to showcase the Okanagan Valley and Destination BC’s new branding, Valleys and Vineyards.
The Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) Marketing and Communications Team in collaboration with Destination BC hosted a group of top tier international media in the Thompson Okanagan to showcase the Okanagan Valley and Destination BC’s new branding, Valleys and Vineyards. The trip hosted six media from Canada, the United States, Australia, China, and Mexico.
The group began in Kelowna and made their way south to Summerland, Penticton, Naramata, Oliver, and Osoyoos. The theme of the trip was savouring the gifts of the Okanagan highlighting the incredible farm to table cuisine, wineries, and outdoor experiences the region has to offer. Including the dark sky designations of Johns Family Nature Conservancy Regional Park as only the third Nocturnal Preserve and the efforts of Dark Sky Naramata, reinforcing the beauty in taking a step back and enjoying the wonders of nature.
Thank you to the businesses and communities that helped us host this group.
Photos by Garfield Wang, Monica Leeck
Resulting Coverage:
B.C.’s most delicious destination? I visited Canada’s first UNESCO ‘City of Gastronomy,’ and that was just the start - Toronto Star by Wing Sze Tang
Destination BC’s First BC Accelerator Program Hosted in Kelowna
The TOTA Marketing and Communications Team attended and helped plan Destination BC’s inaugural BC Accelerator Program bringing the opportunity for businesses to meet with top tier travel trade buyers from BC’s key international markets.
Destination BC hosted their inaugural BC Accelerator Program in Kelowna at the Eldorado Resort from October 20 to 22. This program was launched as a pilot project aimed at furthering growth opportunities for tourism businesses in the province and connecting businesses with top tier tour operators. The event brought together 41 international travel trade buyers and 41 tourism suppliers from across the province for the opportunity to connect and learn more about the travel trade industry and what the province has to offer.
The TOTA team was happy to assist in the planning of this event and appreciated the opportunity to showcase this region to top tier international buyers. The feedback from businesses and buyers has been overwhelmingly positive and we hope to see this program continue in the future.
Photos by Darren Hull and Destination BC
Along with having the conference hosted in the Thompson Okanagan in Kelowna, we had the opportunity to host a Pre FAM (Familiarization Tour) in collaboration with Destination BC. Taking 12 international buyers from from Mexico, China, Canada, United States, and the United Kingdom through the Thompson Okanagan along Highway 97 through the Valleys and Vineyards. The group travelled along Highway 3 to Osoyoos then continued North to Oliver, Penticton, Vernon, and back to Kelowna.
The buyers were thrilled to experience the Highway 97 road trip for their own reference when selling BC road trips to their customers and admired the variety of experiences this region has to offer, along with the warmth and professionalism of the business owners and staff.
Thank you to the communities and businesses that hosted this group.
TOTA Team Attended GoMedia 2025
The TOTA Marketing and Communications Team attended Destination Canada’s GoMedia Conference and had the opportunity to host a GoMedia Pre FAM in collaboration with Destination BC.
The Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) Marketing and Communications Team attended Destination Canada’s GoMedia Conference, September 14-18, 2025, hosted in Jasper Alberta along with 206 attendees, 79 international media and 79 industry partners. Here, the team had the opportunity to meet with sixteen international media in the marketplace, participate in professional development sessions, and network with industry partners and media from around the world.
Photos by Destination Canada
The team also had the opportunity to host a Pre FAM (Familiarization Tour) in collaboration with Destination BC. Taking six top tier media from Mexico, Germany, the United Kingdom, Japan and China through the Thompson Valley on a Rainforest to Rockies road trip. The group began in Whistler and continued through to Kamloops, then Clearwater, and ended in Valemount.
The group was amazed by the beauty of the ever changing landscapes of this road trip, the unlimited access to the beautiful outdoors and parks in the region, and the kind people willing to share their home with visitors.
Thank you to the communities and businesses that hosted this group.
Photos by Kieran Murphy, Lin Chang, and Jenna Labossiere