News & Resources
The latest Thompson Okanagan tourism industry news from TOTA, tourism businesses, and communities.
Destination BC Tourism Digital Academy Registration Opens
Destination BC has once again launched the Tourism Digital Academy.
Destination BC has once again launched the Tourism Digital Academy. The Tourism Digital Academy is a free, 8-week digital marketing program for BC tourism businesses who are interested in building their knowledge and skills in digital marketing to an intermediate level.
Designed for business owners or their marketing team members, this comprehensive program is focused on providing practical, actionable guidance to complete your digital marketing plan. From setting your goals, to building a better understanding of SEO, website usability, content, email marketing, analytics and more – you’ll leave the program with the confidence and knowledge to put that plan into action.
Intake for October 8, 2024 - November 27, 2024 is now open!
Intake for October 15, 2024 - December 4, 2024 is now open!
Learn more and Register for this program by visiting Destinationbc.ca/Learning-Centre.
2024 Summer Travel Outlook for Canadian Destinations | Deloitte Report
With the arrival of summer, Deloitte has released the Canadian Summer Travel Outlook report, which provides excellent insights for destinations and tourism businesses.
With the arrival of summer, Deloitte has released the Canadian Summer Travel Outlook. The report provides excellent insights for Canadian destinations and tourism businesses.
Highlights include:
Most Canadians (77%) expect to spend the same or more on summer travel this year.
Safety, inclusivity, and accessibility are important to visitors: respectively, 88%, 52%, and 49% think about these concerns when planning a trip.
Canadians find fitness/sports options, all-inclusive packages, nightlife options, beach/pool access, and personalized customer service lacking in travel destinations.
63% of Western Canadians are traveling within their own home region.
80% of Canadians prefer food and drink available from local farmers, chefs, wineries, and breweries
Awareness of Indigenous tourism experiences is rising
Canadians are generally positive about tourism within their own communities. 43% said the benefits of tourism outweighed the costs in their town or city. But another 43% said they were neutral on the issue – which means we all have work to do to educate people about the importance of tourism.
Water Conservation Toolkit
BC’s tourism industry can advocate for water conservation by inspiring residents and visitors to take part in protecting one of the province’s most important resources.
The Tourism Emergency Management Committee has created a Water Conservation Toolkit for the tourism industry, with resources, shareable graphics, tips, messaging, and steps that businesses and industry partners can take, to promote and participate in responsible water use.
Click here to access the full toolkit.
2023 Resident Perceptions of BC's Tourism Industry Report by Destination BC
Destination BC released a on report on the 2023 Resident Perceptions of BC’s Tourism Industry survey, launched in November 2023 to understand the perceptions BC residents have of the tourism industry on both community and provincial levels. The survey found that the majority of BC residents continue to value the impact that tourism has on their communities.
Destination BC released the results from the 2023 Resident Perceptions of BC’s Tourism Industry survey. The survey was launched in November 2023 to understand the perceptions BC residents have of the tourism industry on both community and provincial levels.
Some key highlights noted in the announcement include:
The majority of BC residents continue to value the impact that tourism has on their communities.
A large percentage agree that tourism supports a greater diversity of amenities (78%), contributes positively to the quality of life of their community (72%), and its positive impacts in their community outweigh the negative ones (75%).
Residents take pride in making visitors feel welcome (75%) and a strong majority agree their community is a desirable place to visit (79%).
Province-wide, residents are more likely to support tourism growth during winter (December-February), followed by fall (September-November), and then spring (March-May).
go2HR New Safety Basics Health & Safety Orientation Training (Free)
The Safety Basics Orientation Course is a free, online, asynchronous health and safety training for new and young workers, designed to meet the WorkSafeBC regulatory requirement to provide a health and safety orientation.
This newest addition to go2HR's training portfolio will also help employers deliver a positive onboarding experience, showcasing your commitment to creating a healthy and safe work environment.
The Safety Basics Orientation Course is a free, online, asynchronous health and safety training for new and young workers, designed to meet the WorkSafeBC regulatory requirement to provide a health and safety orientation.
This newest addition to go2HR's training portfolio will also help employers deliver a positive onboarding experience, showcasing your commitment to creating a healthy and safe work environment.
Free Sustainable Tourism Training Program by the Tourism Industry Association of Canada
The Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) is launching a sustainable tourism training program to build awareness and capacity for tourism to develop more sustainably. The program is complementary and is available to all Canadian tourism businesses, not only TIAC members.
The program includes specialized workshops, one-on-one coaching, and certification support around several topics, provided by industry experts.
The Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) is launching a ground-breaking sustainable tourism program to support communities across all 13 Canadian Provinces and Territories. The program will assist small and medium enterprises, Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs), and other tourism stakeholders and organizations across all sectors of the industry in building awareness and capacity to develop more sustainably; that is, in a manner that maximizes positive environmental, social, and economic impact while reducing negative externalities.
Participation in this program is complementary and is available to all Canadian tourism businesses, not only TIAC members.
The program includes specialized workshops, one-on-one coaching, and certification support around the following topics:
SDG Decade of Action Planning
Fast Track to Sustainable Tourism & Pathway to Net Zero Carbon
Flourishing Business Strategy for Tourism
Regenerative Event Management
The Pathway to Regenerative Trails Tourism
Strong Farm & Rural Shores - Rural Community Strategy
These topics will be reviewed in the virtual Sustainable Tourism Symposiums. The Western symposium is on January 10, 7:45 AM - 2:30 PM PST.
Further resources, tools, and materials will be available to participants to continue support once the program is complete.
If you have any questions about the program or how to register, contact TIAC at contact@tiac-aitc.ca or (613) 238-7887.
Free Tourism Digital Academy
Registration for the October intakes of the Tourism Digital Academy, now with learning modules that combine self-directed and live interactive sessions, is NOW OPEN!
It is a free, eight-week digital marketing program for BC tourism businesses seeking to elevate their knowledge and skills in digital marketing to an intermediate level.
Registration for the October intakes of the Tourism Digital Academy, now with learning modules that combine self-directed and live interactive sessions, is NOW OPEN!
It is a free, eight-week digital marketing program for BC tourism businesses seeking to elevate their knowledge and skills in digital marketing to an intermediate level.
Designed for business owners or marketing team members, this comprehensive program provides actionable guidance that helps build a better understanding of SEO, website usability, content, email marketing and analytics.
For the first time, these intakes will offer a combination of self-directed and live interactive programming. Interested participants are encouraged to apply soon as it fills up quickly.
Free Cyber Security Certification through Government of Canada
The Government of Canada is offering a free cyber security certification designed for small and medium-sized organizations through CyberSecure Canada.
Cyber attacks are on the rise and they can have a devastating effect on your business if you are not prepared. The certification will equip you with information you need to keep your business safe.
The Government of Canada is offering a free cyber security certification designed for small and medium-sized organizations through CyberSecure Canada.
Cyber attacks are on the rise and they can have a devastating effect on your business if you are not prepared. The certification will equip you with information you need to keep your business safe.
Tourism Digital Academy - Free Destination BC Program | Apply Now for March 28 Start
The Tourism Digital Academy is a free, eight-week digital marketing program for BC tourism businesses seeking to elevate their knowledge and skills in digital marketing to an intermediate level.
Designed for business owners or marketing team members, this comprehensive program provides actionable guidance that helps build a better understanding of SEO, website usability, content, email marketing and analytics.
This intake will offer access to programming during both working and evening hours each week.
Apply now for the 8-week program, which begins March 28, 2022. Availability is limited.
The Tourism Digital Academy is a free, eight-week digital marketing program for BC tourism businesses seeking to elevate their knowledge and skills in digital marketing to an intermediate level.
Designed for business owners or marketing team members, this comprehensive program provides actionable guidance that helps build a better understanding of SEO, website usability, content, email marketing and analytics.
This intake will offer access to programming during both working and evening hours each week.
Apply now for the 8-week program, which begins March 28, 2022. Availability is limited.
Extended WorkShare Program
The government has extended the maximum duration of the Work-Sharing program from 38 weeks to 76 weeks for employers affected by COVID-19. The Work-Sharing program can help employers avoid layoffs when there is a temporary reduction in the normal level of business activity that is beyond the employer’s control. The program provides Employment Insurance (EI) benefits to eligible employees who agree to reduce their normal working hours and share the available work while their employer recovers.
The government has extended the maximum duration of the Work-Sharing program from 38 weeks to 76 weeks for employers affected by COVID-19. The Work-Sharing program can help employers avoid layoffs when there is a temporary reduction in the normal level of business activity that is beyond the employer’s control. The program provides Employment Insurance (EI) benefits to eligible employees who agree to reduce their normal working hours and share the available work while their employer recovers.
The Program allows employers to retain qualified and experienced workers, and avoid recruiting and training new employees. It also allows employees to keep their jobs, and maintain their work skills.
Work-Sharing temporary special measures to support employers and workers affected by COVID-19
Effective March 15, 2020 and extended to September 24, 2022, and not limited to one specific sector or industry, the Government of Canada is introducing temporary special measures:
extension of the maximum possible duration of an agreement from 38 weeks to 76 weeks
mandatory cooling off period has been waived for employers who have already used the Work-Sharing program so that eligible employers may immediately enter into a new agreement
reduce the previous requirements for a Recovery Plan to a single line of text in the application form
reduce the requirement and expand eligibility to employers affected by accepting business who have been in business for only 1 year rather than 2, and eliminate the burden of having to provide sales/production figures at the same time, and
expand eligibility for staff who are essential to recovery, Government Business Enterprises (GBEs) and non-for-profit organization employers
Tourism Business Builders Online Resources
Tourism HR Canada team has launched Tourism Business Builders, an online learning program developed specifically for tourism and hospitality entrepreneurs. This “how-to” resource contains nine comprehensive modules on business fundamentals and dozens of practical tools, including Excel templates and PDF worksheets, available free until September 1, 2021.
Tourism HR Canada team has launched the Tourism Business Builders online program, developed specifically for tourism and hospitality entrepreneurs. This much-anticipated update moves the renowned program to a fully online offering, allowing for 24/7 access on the organization’s Emerit.ca learning platform and the flexibility to quickly add content.
Businesses who have been the most adversely impacted by COVID are not only looking at recovery, but in many cases a complete restart to their operations. This presents opportunities to re-assess priorities, including product and service offerings, audiences, financing, and marketing.
Now these same businesses can access this brand new “how-to” resource, which contains nine comprehensive modules on business fundamentals and dozens of practical tools, including Excel templates and PDF worksheets…all FREE for a limited time.
Tourism Business Builders will retail for $199.00, but as part of Tourism HR Canada’s recovery strategy, the organization will offer it free of charge until September 1, 2021, to assist tourism business owners, operators, and prospective entrepreneurs.
Tourism businesses need support now more than ever, and this special offer adds to Tourism HR Canada’s recovery efforts. These include the free suite of resources available at TourismRecovery.ca and the free Emerit online occupational training offered earlier in the pandemic (with over 5,000 courses accessed).
Tourism Business Builders contains comprehensive online modules that cover such core topics as:
Creating Your Product
Financial Management
Staffing Matters
Marketing
The Customer
Managing Operations
As self-directed resources, these modules will help business owners/operators to review and revamp current planning and management practices. Entrepreneurs looking to launch a new tourism operation can work through the series to prepare a solid business plan and learn how to successfully run a tourism business—from start-up planning to day-to-day operations.
Used in conjunction with TourismRecovery.ca and Emerit.ca training for numerous tourism and hospitality occupations, owners/operators can build a strong business recovery and reengagement plan that covers all the basics needed to steer towards success.