News & Resources

The latest Thompson Okanagan tourism industry news from TOTA, tourism businesses, and communities.

 
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Shifting to Step 3 of BC Restart Plan: Resources for Tourism Businesses

With British Columbians achieving nearly 80% adult Dose 1 vaccine coverage and COVID-19 case counts continuing to decline, the Province is safely moving to Step 3 of its four-step restart plan on July 1, 2021. Get the latest resources for BC tourism businesses.

 
BC's Restart Step 3 (1).png

With British Columbians achieving nearly 80% adult Dose 1 vaccine coverage and COVID-19 case counts continuing to decline, the Province is safely moving to Step 3 of its four-step restart plan on July 1, 2021.

Moving to Step 3 will signal the end of the provincial state of emergency in BC’s history. BC’s public health emergency will remain in effect during Step 3, with reduced requirements.

Moving from Step 2 to Step 3 includes:

  • return to normal for indoor and outdoor personal gatherings;

  • maximum capacity for indoor organized gatherings of 50 people or up to 50% of a venue’s total capacity, whichever is greater;

  • maximum capacity for outdoor organized gatherings of 5,000 people or up to 50% of a venue’s total capacity, whichever is greater;

  • return to normal for fairs, festivals and trade shows, with communicable disease plans;

  • return to Canada-wide recreational travel;

  • reopening of casinos, with reduced capacity and ~50% of gaming stations permitted to open;

  • reopening of nightclubs, with up to 10 people seated at tables, no socializing between tables and no dancing;

  • return to normal hours for liquor service at restaurants, bars and pubs with table limits to be determined by venue and no socializing between tables;

  • return to normal for sports and exercise facilities, with communicable disease plans; and

  • mask wearing recommended in indoor public spaces for all people 12 and older who are not yet fully vaccinated.

View Press Release

Tourism Sector Restart Step 3 Toolkit

The Province of BC, TIABC, ITBC, and DBC have prepared an updated version of the BC Restart Toolkit for tourism operators, with messaging to encourage British Columbians and Canadians to #exploreBCnow.

This toolkit is designed as a guide for operators for Step 3, which starts July 1 and will run until at least September 7.

The toolkit includes:

  • Summary of current guidelines

  • Links to help operators with recruiting and training staff

  • Information on topics such as the evolution of mask use from a requirement to
    recommendations, and changes to capacity restrictions for events and festivals

  • Information on the marketing campaigns to help restart the visitor economy, and how to participate

View Industry Toolkit

WorkSafeBC Communicable Disease Plans

During Step 3, businesses will gradually transition from COVID-19 Safety Plans to Communicable Disease Plans, with guidelines provided by WorkSafeBC.

These plans will continue to include physical barriers at many business and retail settings. Capacity limits, formal health screening tests and directional arrows, as well as other physical distancing measures will no longer be required. However, they may still be used during this transition period.

View Communicable Disease Prevention Guide for Employers

go2HR Webinar: Workplace Safety in Step 3

go2HR is hosting webinar on Monday, July 5 at 2 PM featuring expert panelists Mark Lysyshyn, Deputy Chief Medical Health Officer at Vancouver Coastal Health and Lisa Houle, Manager, OHS Consultation and Education Services at WorkSafeBC. Learn how to implement a communicable disease program for Step 3 of BC's Restart plan and get your questions answered.

Webinar topics include:

  • How to build an effective communicable disease program for step 3 of the BC Restart

  • How to relax existing controls for workers and customers

  • When you can (or should) enforce the wearing of masks and other controls in the workplace

  • Key considerations around occupancy levels, including for events and meetings

  • The practicalities of a gradual transition out of your COVID-19 safety plan and how to communicate changes to workers and customers

  • The forecast: fall flu season and the potential impacts of variants of concern

Register for go2HR Webinar

Travel Manners

The provincial health officer has laid out travel manners and guidelines for everyone travelling within BC, including:

  • Planning ahead and being respectful while visiting communities, especially smaller and rural towns, as well as Indigenous communities

  • respecting local travel advisories.

  • getting vaccinated

  • pre-trip planning and research before arriving at destination

  • respecting any local travel advisories to isolated and remote communities and Indigenous communities

  • following mask guidelines

  • respecting personal space and practicing good hygiene, including frequent handwashing

  • no travelling for anyone who is sick, and if symptoms develop while travelling – self isolate immediately and contact 811 for guidance and testing

BC Government Resources

Under the COVID-19 Related Measures Act, police and other enforcement officials will continue to be able to issue tickets for anyone who is contravening the Gatherings and Events or Food and Liquor Premises public health orders, which will remain in place. This includes fines for people who are being abusive or belligerent about the requirements of public health orders.

To view the June 29, BC Restart Plan Step 3 presentation, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/RestartBC_Step3.pdf

To learn more about BC’s Restart – a four-step plan to bring BC back together, visit: https://www.gov.bc.ca/restartbc

To learn about BC’s current travel restrictions, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/covidtravel

To learn about current PHO restrictions, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/COVIDrestrictions

To view the June 28, 2021, modelling presentation, visit: http://news.gov.bc.ca/files/6-28_PHO_presentation.pdf

 
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Thank You to Supporters of the Tourism Skills Training Program - Masterclass

In June, the second cohort of graduates of TOTA’s Tourism Skills Training Program - Masterclass came together to celebrate with a virtual graduation ceremony. After two months of online instruction, 14 participants graduated, ready to deliver domestic tourism experiences and hospitality services in the Thompson Okanagan region. Thank you to our program supporters!

 

On June 11, 2021, the first cohort of graduates from TOTA’s Tourism Skills Training Program - Masterclass came together to celebrate with a virtual graduation ceremony. After two months of online instruction, 3 certificates, +50 hours of mentorship meetings, +125 workplace practicum hours, employment coaching, and job placement support, 14 participants graduated, ready to deliver domestic tourism experiences and hospitality services in the Thompson Okanagan region.

The program was a great success, with the online format enabling TOTA and UVIC to connect with participants from their homes throughout the Thompson Okanagan region, including Blind Bay, Vernon, Kelowna, West Kelowna, Westbank, Penticton, and Okanagan Falls.

Students learned about Tourism and Hospitality trends, regional experiences, and the delivery of day-to-day guest service, including an overview of Indigenous tourism, accessible tourism, sustainable tourism, and communicable disease health & safety practices from a diverse roster of tourism experts.

The virtual Job Fair & Open House introduced program participants to 20 potential employers in the Thompson Okanagan Tourism industry.

Students completed the following certifications:

Thank You To The Program Supporters

The program came at a time when many of the participants were in search of next steps, resources, and a sense of connection, due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the tourism industry. The training program was offered to participants free of charge, delivered by the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) in cooperation with the University of Victoria-Peter B. Gustavson School of Business and supported by the Province of British Columbia and Government of Canada.

We would like to express a heartfelt 'thank you' to the facilitators, guests speakers, presentation panelists, mentors, and job fair employers who supported this program and the participants:

Facilitators & Guest Speakers

Participants received +196 hours of instruction from +29 instructors with expertise in Tourism & Hospitality Industry Trends, the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Region, Tourism Career & Professional Development, and other required areas of knowledge to enable participants to provide exceptional tourism experiences in the Thompson Okanagan region.

 

University of Victoria: Peter B. Gustavson School of Business

  • Avril Matthews

  • Dr. Brent Mainprize

  • Martin Rissley

  • Christian Van Buskirk

Domestic Tourism Industry

Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA)

  • Ellen Walker-Matthews

  • Barbara Bonnough

  • Jamie Bourne

  • Sonja Gaudet

  • Amy Kneller

  • Adam Kunis

  • Kavan Kumar

  • Chelsea McGonigal

  • Thivya Viswanathan

  • Kaitie Worobek

Symphony Tourism Services, a subsidiary of TOTA

  • Kelly Galaski

  • Terrina Barsalou

 

Mentorship Program

Industry support is essential to help up and coming tourism professionals achieve success as they journey down the path of their career. Over 6 weeks, mentors connected with budding tourism professionals to share career insights and encouraging words, resulting in +50 hours of mentorship, followed by 3 weeks and +125 hours of job shadowing or practicum time.

 
 

Job Fair & Open House

The virtual Job Fair & Open House introduced program participants to 20+ potential employers in the Thompson Okanagan Tourism industry.

 
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