News & Resources
The latest Thompson Okanagan tourism industry news from TOTA, tourism businesses, and communities.
Recap of the Thompson Okanagan Tourism AGM & Summit 2023
A recap of the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association AGM & Summit in Penticton on October 23 and 24, 2023, with photos, inspiration, and learnings.
On October 23 and 24, TOTA hosted the 2023 Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association AGM & Summit in Penticton, with 14 speakers, sharing inspiration and key learnings with over 140 attendees.
The theme, “Now is the Time,” reflected the focus on continuous preparation to ensure readiness of tourism professionals and businesses, which will ultimately elevate visitor experiences, strengthen businesses, and regenerate communities.
Attendees finished the event with many insights and connections to take back to their companies and communities.
The Summit raised over $6,000 to donate to regional wildfire relief efforts.
In case you missed it (or want to relive it), here are some of the highlights:
Welcome Reception
The Welcome Reception was an evening of networking, learning, and reconnecting with industry members at the Okanagan College Jim Pattison Centre of Excellence (JPCE), hosted by Travel Penticton.
TOTA CEO, Ellen Walker-Matthews and Travel Penticton Executive Director, Thom Tischik shared a warm welcome.
The event included tours of this LEED Platinum Certified building, which aligns with TOTA’s current sustainability initiatives and the Summit theme, Now is the Time.
Okanagan College chef, Israel Alvarez, prepared locally crafted Mexican cuisine, while Naramata Bench Wineries Association and Penticton Beer Blocks poured tastings of local beverages.
Several businesses showcased their services, including:
As well, Ebus provided a shuttle to and from the event venue and Nespresso showcased their recyclable single use coffee products.
The TOTA Destination Stewardship team shared information about the Thompson Okanagan Biosphere Destination Certification and how tourism businesses can get involved.
AGM
The Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) Annual General Meeting (AGM) was held on Tuesday, October 24, 2023, at the Penticton Lakeside Resort, on the traditional, unceded, and ancestral territory of the Penticton Indian Band, home of the Syilx (Okanagan) People.
The meeting included an overview for the year ending March 31, 2023, the presentation of the Fiscal Year 2022/23 Audited Financial Statement, Governance Report, TOTA Activities, and the Board Election Results.
Summit
Opening
The day began with a welcome by Penticton Indian Band members, who sang the Okanagan Song and debuted a youth pow wow dancer.
TOTA CEO Ellen Walker-Matthews shared opening remarks, about the theme “Now is the Time” and including words of appreciation for the community host, Travel Penticton, the event sponsors, and the TOTA board directors and staff.
“We are faced with unbelievable changes and challenges in our world today and there is no question they are daunting. I know many ask the question: what possible difference can I make? But if each of us works at making an adjustment, little by little, progress and change can and will come.
Now is the Time for Collaborative Change.”
go2HR Zen Room
go2HR offers many mental health and other resources to the Thompson Okanagan tourism industry. To highlight this focus on mental health, go2HR hosted a Zen Room to create space for calm and prioritizing wellness.
The calming space provided a place for participants to take a break from the bustle and energy of the Summit sessions.
While there, participants could learn and practice quick, accessible techniques that they and their employees can use to help ease stress and anxiety as well as encourage a positive mindset.
Opening Keynote by Destination BC
Destination BC Maya Lange, Vice President, Global Marketing and Ali McKay, Vice President, Destination Stewardship shared Destination BC’s new corporate strategy, the upcoming Iconics rollout, and insights from the past year on crisis communications and recovery.
Destination BC works closely with the regions and impacted communities to provide timely, accurate information and develop campaigns and strategies that encourage travel when it is safe to do so.
FortisBC & Renewable Natural Gas (RNG)
As a strong TOTA partner and supporter of Thompson Okanagan tourism businesses, FortisBC’s Vlad Kostka was invited to say a few words about their current partnership to reduce the carbon footprint in the Thompson Okanagan region.
The partnership aims to increase awareness on the simplicity of switching to Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) to heat and power homes and tourism businesses - and to inspire businesses and residents to take action.
Emergency Management, Planning, and Preparedness Panel
Prompted by this year’s environmental challenges we’ve faced as a region, this panel addressed BC’s current emergency management framework and explored ways to improve the system.
Walt Judas, Tourism Industry Association of British Columbia (TIABC) CEO and BC Tourism Emergency Management Committee member shared information about BC's emergency management system and how we can collaborate to become stronger when facing challenges.
As CEO, Walt leads multiple advocacy/policy files, sets the strategic course for TIABC, builds relationships with members and industry stakeholders, and communicates the value of BC’s visitor economy to various constituents.
Ingrid Jarrett, President & CEO of the BC Hotel Association (BCHA) discussed the role of accommodation in moments of crisis, including the efforts to implement a modern solution to an evolving issue.
Ingrid channels her extensive knowledge and acute insights into supporting, and advocating for, members of the hotel industry province-wide. She has been instrumental in leading the hospitality sector out of crisis caused by COVID-19, delivering hundreds of millions in financial relief, while also rebuilding the sector’s workforce and providing solutions for long-term tourism growth.
Wendy Magnes, Director, Economics and Corporate Initiatives, Province of BC, Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture, and Sport - Tourism Sector Strategy shared an overview on tourism in BC:
BC’s Competitive Advantages
Hazards
2023 Overview
Power of Partnerships and Emergency
Management
Progress
Resources
Wendy joined the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport in May 2022, and currently has oversight for Crown corporate reporting for Destination BC and the BC Pavilion Corporation (BC Place and the Vancouver Convention Centre), industry economic data and research, Federal Provincial and Territorial tables for Tourism as well as several key industry initiatives including emergency management.
Garnet Mierau, Director of Forest Professionals of BC, shared insights on the the Forest Professional’s Role and FireSmart Efficacy.
As a registered professional forester, Garnet has over 30 years of experience in forest management in British Columbia, much of this within the wildfire niche.
He led a team of professionals working for the District of Logan Lake to prepare for and respond to the Tremont Wildfire in 2021, including years of wildfire risk reduction and FireSmart program management as well as community forest tenure management.
Recently, Garnet became the Director of Practice with the provincial regulator Forest Professionals BC (FPBC). FPBC works in the public interest by ensuring only those with the requisite education, experience, knowledge, and competence practise professional forestry.
Mathieu Bourbonnais, lead of the Earth Observation & Spatial Ecology Lab and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Earth, Environmental and Geographic Sciences at the University of British Columbia Okanagan, shared his work developing new sensor networks for monitoring and predicting fire risk and fire behaviour, understanding ecological responses to changing fire regimes, and developing tools and training for proactive mitigation.
Regional Transportation Opportunities Panel
The beautiful landscape of the Thompson Okanagan presents transportation challenges, as well as opportunities. This panel of transportation experts addressed transportation challenges and alternative ways to connect the region.
Steve Sirett, Executive Director, Province of BC, Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI), has over 15 years’ experience with MOTI, including 4 years in the Construction branch building roads across the province and 7 years leading the Okanagan-Shuswap District.
Steve shared MOTI’s guiding principles, themes, and priorities.
Johnathan Richardson, Vice President, Customer & Commercial of Pacific Coastal Airlines, oversees the teams that are accountable for all planning and service delivery aspects for Pacific Coastal Airlines serving 18 destinations across British Columbia with scheduled flight service, charter, and cargo solutions. Collectively these teams work together to provide safe and reliable air service to many communities throughout British Columbia supporting leisure, medical, and business travellers.
Dr. Gord Lovegrove, Associate Professor, UBCO School of Engineering, University of British Columbia Okanagan teaches and researches sustainable community development, including land use and transportation systems that promote a more sustainable quality of life for all.
Dr. Gord shared a transportation opportunity that could transform the Thompson Okanagan: the Okanagan Valley Electric Regional Passenger Rail (OVER PR).
Laurel Douglas, CEO of Economic Trust of the Southern Interior (ETSI-BC), shared:
The Regional Transportation Study, a comprehensive study of the region’s ground passenger transportation gaps and opportunities.
RTE Funding Program to help strengthen the economy of the Southern Interior through enhanced connections
ETSI-BC is an important organisation for development of the region. Their role includes:
Helping to strengthen and diversify the economy of the BC Southern Interior.
Assisting communities to realize their economic development aspirations by providing funding, resources and knowledge.
Working with local governments, First Nations, business support organizations, industry groups.
Peter Truch, Professional Transportation Engineer, Independent Consultant, is a senior transportation planning, mobility, and operations engineer with more than two decades of experience. His practice focuses on master planning, universal design, and active transportation in the built environment and advises on the entire lifecycle of active transportation related projects, from planning and design to operational issues, financial implications, and the numerous links and associations to other fields.
Peter shared a presentation on Why In-Town Mobility Needs to Evolve.
Sustainability Keynote - Kelly Galaski, The Travel Foundation
The increasing impacts of climate change have greatly impacted the future of tourism in our region and far beyond.
Kelly Galaski, Sustainable Tourism Specialist from The Travel Foundation, shared how global destinations are working towards climate-positive and equitable tourism goals and TOTA stakeholders can follow suit via destination stewardship strategies and capacity building programs.
Now is the Time to listen, learn, and act to ensure prosperity for generations to come.
AGM & Summit 24 Location Announcement
Near the end of the event, the destination for the next TOTA AGM & Summit was announced. We are pleased to announce that the 2024 TOTA AGM & Summit will be held in the North Okanagan, in partnership with Tourism Vernon and Destination Silver Star on the unceded and traditional territory of the Okanagan Indian Band, home of the Syilx Okanagan People.
Be sure to subscribe to the TOTA Newsletter to get the registration details when they are announced.
Wildfire Relief Efforts
The event and silent auction raised over $6,000 to donate to regional wildfire relief efforts. The funds will be donated equally to the following charities:
Central Okanagan Fire Relief Fund, a group of professional firefighters from Kelowna, West Kelowna and Lake Country distributing funds to those impacted by wildfires in the area.
Shuswap Community Foundation Emergency Response Fund, to support the communities affected by the Bush Creek East wildfire in North Shuswap by assisting community-based organizations to recover and rebuild.
Thank you to those that donated silent auction items:
Thank you to the event sponsors
Recap of the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Summit: Biospherology Master Class
The Thompson Okanagan Tourism Summit: Biospherology Master Class was an immersive experience unlike any other Summit the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) has hosted. 120 people from across the region and British Columbia attended the Summit at Thompson Rivers University (TRU), February 21 - 22, 2023.
Attendees had an action packed day on their feet, moving through the TRU Campus with industry leaders who are experts in their respective fields. Through the Master Class collaborative, “hands on" approach, attendees gained knowledge and inspiration to incorporate responsible, sustainable practices into their communities and workplaces.
On February 21 & 22, the TOTA team hosted the 2022/23 Thompson Okanagan Tourism Summit in Kamloops, with 9 speakers through 6 presentations and 3 immersive sessions, sharing inspiration and key learnings with over 120 attendees.
The Biospherology theme reflected the focus on continuous education for tourism professionals that will ultimately elevate visitor experiences, strengthen businesses, regenerate communities, and reduce impacts within the surrounding environments.
Attendees finished the day with inspiration to take back to their companies and communities. The event was carbon neutral.
In case you missed it (or want to relive it), here are some of the highlights:
Welcome Party
On Tuesday, Tourism Kamloops hosted the Slide Into the Kamloops Social Scene Welcome Party at the Kamloops Curling Club and the Sandman Centre, in conjunction with the Scotties Tournament of Hearts Canadian women’s curling competition.
Attendees got a local taste, with live music by Dave Coalmine appetizers by Black Salt Catering and samples from the following:
The group then ventured to the Sandman Centre to watch provincial teams face off in the tournament.
Biospherology Master Class
On Wednesday, attendees got up bright and early for the Biospherology Master Class at Thompson Rivers University. The day started with breakfast and words of welcome from TOTA CEO Ellen Walker-Matthews.
Attendees ventured to the BC Centre for a Secwépemc welcome from Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc members and drummers. Kúkpi7 Rosanne Casimir shared her story and her community’s journey from finding the missing children at the Kamloops Residential School in 2020, to seeking reconciliation by visiting the Vatican.
We heard from Inuit artist Angus Cockney about his personal experience in residential school and his inspiring story about how he was able to move forward.
It is important to involve Indigenous communities in tourism and industry events, as they are the First Peoples of the land known today as the Thompson Okanagan. Indigenous people have continuously played an important role as stewards and the very core identity of Canadian places. We look forward to seeing Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc and the 32 other Indigenous communities in the region as they grow and thrive.
Today, all individuals and organizations have a role to play in reconciliation. To learn more how tourism professionals and businesses can support reconciliation, visit Indigenous Tourism BC.
The “Working with Indigenous Communities: Guide to Developing Tourism Relationships” is an excellent resource to get started.
Immersive Master Classes
Then the group split into 1 of 3 Immersive Master Class. Each session was held three times so everyone had the chance to learn from the three industry leaders:
Build it Better led by James Gordon from TRU’s Environmental Programs and Research took professionals behind the scenes, walls, and infrastructure of Thompson Rivers University to demonstrate their commitment to a zero carbon future and how they have built infrastructure, systems, and creating innovations to ensure they meet those targets.
Another Perspective: Accessibility Immersive led by Sonja Gaudet (Thompson Okanagan Access & Inclusion Liaison and Gold Medal Paralympian) and Ginger Brunner (go2HR) shared a first hand experience what employees and guests experience if they have difficulties or impairments of sight, sensory, and mobility.
The Trash Buffet by Ben Liegey, founder of Better Table, shared how to utilize food sources that would normally be tossed. This hands-on session demonstrated a less wasteful approach to cooking and eating habits both at work and at home. Planning, education, and creativity can take cores, stems, and peels, then turn them into zero waste culinary magic.
For example, attendees tried a plant based Banana Bread made with banana peels and aquafaba (chickpea water) instead of eggs.
Attendees heard from Tourism Industry Association BC CEO, Walt Judas, on Emergency Preparedness and the BC Emergency Management Framework, including insights into the structure to support tourism partners and visitors on matters related to the four pillars of emergency management: mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery.
Over lunch, Rebecca Mackenzie (CEO + President) of the Culinary Tourism Alliance shared her passion about the interconnection between food, agriculture, tourism, arts, and culture. As well, the Culinary Tourism Alliance’s vision is to ensure food tourism is a meaningful and sustainable contributor to local economies in destinations worldwide. The alliance works with communities to grow food tourism by leveraging the history, heritage, and culture behind the food and drink that makes each destination unique.
As the closing keynote, Sonja Gaudet, Canadian Paralympic Gold Medalist, shared her story as the world’s most decorated wheelchair curler with three Paralympic gold medals (2006, 2010, 2014) and Canadian Curling Hall of Fame and BC Sports Hall of Fame inductee.
Born in North Vancouver and now residing in Vernon, Sonja shared how she has always approached challenges with her “can do” attitude and with that she paved the way for wheelchair curling across the nation.
The event ended with a Graduation Party, to celebrate the learnings of the day and a commitment to move forward better. Graduates received a mason jar grad cap, custom 3D printed from recycled material by The Rogerie. The mason jar was filled with goodies, including soap made with captured carbon dioxide from Fortis BC, part of their Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) program.
Future Events
The next TOTA Summit will be held in Penticton in October/November 2023 in conjunction with the TOTA AGM. As well, TOTA hosts an annual golf tournament in August/September.
More details will be available soon through the TOTA News Centre.
Thank You to Our Sponsors
Thank you to our sponsors - click to visit their website to learn more about their company:
BCRTS Tourism Summit Brings Industry Together to Create a Stronger, More Resilient, and Inclusive Future
The BCRTS Tourism Summit 2021 will provide an opportunity for the sector to come together as a tourism community, learn from the challenges of the past two years, and think differently about how to co-create a more vibrant and resilient tourism industry in BC.
Reimagining the Future of Tourism: Rebuild, Reframe and Rethink is the theme of the joint virtual Summit, taking place November 3rd and 4th. The no-cost event for tourism businesses is a collaboration between the five regional destination management organizations of the British Columbia Regional Tourism Secretariat (BCRTS) and the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC). The event will feature more than 40 tourism experts who will share their global, regional, and local expertise.
The BCRTS Tourism Summit 2021 will provide an opportunity for the sector to come together as a tourism community, learn from the challenges of the past two years, and think differently about how to co-create a more vibrant and resilient tourism industry in BC.
Reimagining the Future of Tourism: Rebuild, Reframe and Rethink is the theme of the joint virtual Summit, taking place November 3rd and 4th, 2021. The no-cost event for tourism businesses is a collaboration between the five regional destination management organizations of the British Columbia Regional Tourism Secretariat (BCRTS) and the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC). The event will feature more than 40 tourism experts who will share their global, regional, and local expertise.
The BCRTS and its five regional associations have a decades-long relationships with tourism operators who are represented in Northern BC, the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast, the Thompson Okanagan, the Kootenay Rockies, and Vancouver Island. For much of the past two years, a large part of their focus has been on supporting businesses manage their way through the pandemic – while also collaborating to stage events such as this that are aimed at creating an even stronger tourism industry in this province.
“As we create a path forward, we have both an opportunity and a duty to address issues of climate change and the environmental impacts of our industry - as individual businesses, communities and regions,” said BCRTS Chair Anthony Everett. “We have an opportunity to support and celebrate Indigenous cultures through tourism and take steps to demonstrate our commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion. And, as we chart a future course, we must remain cognizant of how tourism impacts residents in our communities.”
Marsha Walden (President and CEO of Destination Canada), Walt Judas (CEO of Tourism Industry Association of BC), and Richard Porges (CEO of Destination BC) will speak to Shaping the Future of Tourism and how their organizations are charting a path forward.
Other panel discussions will include: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Tourism which emphasizes how to foster a visitor economy that represents a wide variety of individuals at all levels; Tourism Operators Creating a Positive Net Impact which will focus on innovative programs and approaches that BC operators have adopted to create a better tomorrow; Truth, then Reconciliation, exploring how storytelling and truth telling in tourism can support Canadians and visitors alike to gain a better understanding of Indigenous history and move towards authentic reconciliation; and, Access for All, will emphasize the need to create opportunities for people of all abilities, both within the sector and as guests.
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council will also facilitate a series of workshops where participants will learn how tourism-related emissions can be measured effectively and be taken into consideration when planning tourist activities; how destination management organizations can better engage the private sector and drive sustainability certification; and learn about strategies for visitor management in natural areas.
About the BC Regional Tourism Secretariat: The BC Regional Tourism Secretariat (BCRTS) is a collaboration between five regional destination management organizations (Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Tourism Association, Kootenay Rockies Tourism Association, Northern British Columbia Tourism Association, Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association, and Tourism Vancouver Island) representing more than 8,000 tourism businesses and organizations.
About the Global Sustainable Tourism Council: The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) establishes and manages global standards for sustainable travel and tourism, known as the GSTC Criteria, global standards for sustainable travel and tourism; as well as providing international accreditation for sustainable tourism Certification Bodies.