News & Resources
The latest Thompson Okanagan tourism industry news from TOTA, tourism businesses, and communities.
New Biosphere Commitment Program Member: Prestige Beach House Kelowna
Join TOTA in welcoming the Prestige Beach House Kelowna to the Biosphere Commitment Program. The Biosphere Program ensured that the ecological efforts and the service Prestige Beach House Kelowna provided to their guests aligned with their sustainable actions.
Join TOTA in welcoming Prestige Beach House Kelowna to the Thompson Okanagan Biosphere Commitment Program.
The Prestige Beach House is located in downtown Kelowna, BC, and is the first accommodation you’ll see when entering Kelowna off the W.R. Bennett Bridge. It is located directly across the street from Kelowna’s City Park, offering visitors a prime location to the lake and all the amenities of downtown Kelowna.
Sustainability Initiatives
The Prestige Beach House Kelowna is inspired to make sustainable choices by following the company's Prestige in Balance program. Joining the Biosphere Program ensured that their ecological efforts and the service they provide to their guests aligned with their sustainable actions and with the help of their Biosphere Program Success Advisor, Prestige Beach House discovered the resources for sustainable initiatives available to them as Biosphere Program members. The Prestige Beach House Kelowna is working on sustainability initiatives in all three of the SDG fields, including environment and climate change, society and culture, and governance and economy, as they work towards certification.
Assistant General Manager Tyler Bolen believes that Biosphere is an essential program “for a real serious look into the world of sustainability,” and offers businesses a “platform to see how globally businesses compare to each other globally and how the standards vary from place to place.”
Biosphere Commitment Program
The Thompson Okanagan Biosphere Commitment Program is a sustainability program offered by the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association. The focus is to equip tourism businesses in the region with tools and resources to continuously measure, manage, and report sustainability management efforts. The program prepares businesses for a globally recognized certification, to show alignment of business operations with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the Thompson Okanagan Biosphere Destination Certification.
Organizations can create customized sustainability plans through the Biosphere Sustainable Lifestyle platform and access dedicated support from industry experts.
Learn more about TOTA’s Biosphere Commitment Program
Predator Ridge Announces Ritz-Carlton Residences
Predator Ridge is bringing the Ritz-Carlton Residences to the Okanagan region in 2026. This is the first Ritz-Carlton standalone branded residential development in Western Canada.
Congratulations to Predator Ridge as they bring a luxury brand to the Okanagan Region. Predator Ridge, owned by Wesbild Holdings Ltd., will build the prestigious Ritz-Carlton Residences, Okanagan, in 2026. This will be the first Ritz-Carlton standalone branded residential development in Western Canada.
The development will be situated above the Outlook neighborhood and feature high-end luxury homes and villas. The Residences are a major step forward for Predator Ridge and the surrounding area, providing ample opportunities to stimulate growth within the Canadian economy.
There has been a growing consumer demand for branded, standalone properties within resort-style, amenity-rich communities with Residences currently in Montreal and Toronto. The Ritz-Carlton is a world-renowned luxury brand that is continuing to grow in Canada.
For more information, see the Predator Ridge Media Release.
Bat Resource for Okanagan Accommodators
In honour of International Bat Appreciation Day on April 17, the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) and the BC Community Bat Program (BCCBP) are pleased to announce a partnership to assist and educate accommodators throughout the region on the importance of protecting the bat populations in the Okanagan. TOTA and the BCCBP have created a resource for accommodators with bats on their property that details the importance of bats, how to protect them, and how best to manage them at your accommodation whether you are looking to incorporate them into your operations or relocate them somewhere else.
In honour of International Bat Appreciation Day on April 17, the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) and the BC Community Bat Program (BCCBP) are pleased to announce a partnership to assist and educate accommodators throughout the region on the importance of protecting the bat populations in the Okanagan.
Bats are an important part of the Okanagan ecosystem and are neither rodents nor considered pests under BC law. They are classified as wildlife under the BC Wildlife Act and are protected from harassment and killing.
Bat Education Resource
TOTA and the BCCBP have created a resource for accommodators with bats on their property that details the importance of bats, how to protect them, and how best to manage them at your accommodation whether you are looking to incorporate them into your operations or relocate them somewhere else.
Get Support for Bat Management
If you have bats at your accommodation or have had encounters with bats, take the bat survey, so the BC CBP can engage with you and your team to help you devise a plan on how to manage the bats.
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.
TOTA is committed to becoming a world-renowned accessible destination and the goal is to promote “Access & Inclusion” in all aspects of community and tourism experiences, products, and services in the Thompson Okanagan region.
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.