News & Resources
The latest Thompson Okanagan tourism industry news from TOTA, tourism businesses, and communities.
Ski the Thompson Okanagan Press Release
The Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association is encouraging people to plan a visit to a Thompson Okanagan ski resorts to experience the wonders of winter by sharing a roundup of information with media. The press release is designed to raise awareness of ski resorts, passes, and activities in the Thompson Okanagan, inspiring them to plan a trip.
The Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association is encouraging Canadians and Americans to plan a visit to a Thompson Okanagan ski resorts to experience the wonders of winter by sharing a roundup of information with media.
Hatch Comms on behalf of TOTA, shared a press release with Canadian and American media on February 7, 2024, that included a list of ski resorts and information related to their winter offerings and pass programs to raise awareness about the current snowy winter conditions. TOTA's social media continues to share winter themed posts on ThompsonOkanagan.com and social media.
The press release is designed to raise awareness of ski resorts in the Thompson Okanagan, inspiring them to plan a trip, with the target audiences in BC, Alberta, and Washington. Information included downhill ski information, unique indoor and outdoor experiences, pass programs, upcoming events, and travel times from the closest airports.
Release:
The Thompson Okanagan is home to world class skiing and snowboarding along with a variety of other snow activities at eight mountain resorts with some reporting bases close to 160cm. The region’s well-known winter conditions and diverse terrain promises snow sport lovers the best time ever. Adventures include skiing, snowboarding, tubing, skating, fat biking, cross country skiing, snowshoeing and more. Snow pursuits aside, visitors can enjoy all kinds of mountain, recreation, culinary and cultural activities, festivals and events in the months ahead.
Affordable alpine adventures await thanks to the region’s numerous global reciprocal pass programs and wallet-friendly day passes. The Indy Pass grants two days access at each of the following mountains: Apex Mountain Resort, Baldy Mountain Resort, and Big White Ski Resort, Manning Park, along with 180+ resorts spanning three continents. Sun Peaks Resort is included in the IKON Pass, giving skiers and riders access to 50+ destinations worldwide. SilverStar is home to MY1PASS, an inclusive ticket that provides access to seven activities: downhill skiing, cross country skiing (XC), night skiing, tubing, snowshoeing, skating and fat biking. Family-owned resort Harper Mountain’s day passes are under $70 per day.
Continue to follow mountain conditions and updates by visiting the resort websites and social media along with OnTheSnow.com.
Explore the Slopes
Nestled in the heart of the Okanagan Valley at an impressive 7,200 feet above sea level, Apex is an awesome destination for every skill level from novice to intermediate to advanced. Some say, Apex’s post-ski experiences are the best part with its popular Gunbarrel Saloon earning the title of Best Apres Ski Bar by Ski Canada for ten consecutive years. The resort also boasts an enchanting kilometre-long Adventure Skating Loop through the forest, as well as nordic skiing, snowshoeing and tubing.
Upcoming events: Western Day, Brewski, and Retro Day.
Elevate winter expeditions at British Columbia’s third-highest elevation ski resort. Located where the Nk’mip Desert meets the inland rainforest of the West Kootenays, Baldy Mountain Resort was a dream turned reality for its committed winter enthusiasts in 1968. The South Okanagan locale offers 35 runs with 600 acres of skiable terrain and an additional 240 acres dedicated to exhilarating gladed tree skiing. Off the slopes, Baldy offers 13 kilometres of snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, disc golf, and tubing.
Upcoming events: KR Academy Snowboard Camp, 16th Annual Winemakers Cup, and Slackcountry Cup.
An icon in the Thompson Okanagan skyline, the resort resides in British Columbia's famed powder belt. Encompassing a vast ski area of 7,355 acres of diverse terrain with 119 designated trails and vertical drop of 2,550 feet, the second-largest lift system in BC keeps skiers moving. The slopes at Big White Ski Resort cater to every skill level - from beginner to extreme and everything in between. The ski hill has been ranked 10th on The Times UK’s list of “best ski resorts for beginners,” boasts Western Canada’s largest night area and Canada’s largest ski-in, ski-out village. Big White is more than just alpine thrills with its access to Nordic skiing, snowshoeing, tubing, dog sledding, snowmobiling, horse-drawn sleigh rides, and Canada's highest elevation skating rink in Happy Valley.
Upcoming events: Saturday Fireworks, Jr Chef Challenge, TELUS Kelowna Cup, Family Day Weekend, and AltiTunes Music Festival.
A winter wonderland awaits at this South Thompson ski hill. Celebrating 50 years, the traditional ski area offers 16 runs with 1,400 vertical feet of elevation across 400 acres of terrain all adorned by champagne powder. The resort also offers 16 kilometres of dog-friendly snowshoe trails, a 3 kilometre nordic loop, and tubing.
Pro-tip: try the poutine and Gluhwein in the cozy Log Day Lodge.
Adventure starts in the heart of the Cascade Mountains. Winter enthusiasts will enjoy the fresh mountain air and all kinds of exciting activities surrounded by majestic peaks. The laid back resort offers more than 346 acres of skiable terrain, 64 kilometres of nordic terrain, 300 kilometres of snowshoe trails, tubing and ice skating.
Upcoming events: Guided Snowshoe Tours: S'mores, Wine & Cheese, and Fondue.
The Monashee Mountain resort’s bottomless champagne powder is a hit with snow lovers. Its 3,282 acres of skiable terrain over 4 distinct mountain faces, features 132 runs with a 760m vertical drop. There’s a reason Canadian ski pioneers, Olympians, and world champions across the globe call Silver Star home. In addition to all the downhill fun it also has the most expansive cross-country trail network in North America with 105km of nordic trails that connect the peak of SilverStar Mountain Resort to Sovereign Lake’s subalpine. What else? Mini snowmobiles, ice skating, fat baking, snowshoeing, tubing and lots of fun and delicious apres.
Upcoming events: SEISMIC Spring Festival, and Sovereign2SilverStar Ski Marathon.
Canada’s 2nd largest ski area spans 4,270 acres of winter paradise featuring an impressive 882 metres of skiable vertical descent and - wait for it - 2,000 annual hours of sunshine. Winter warriors enjoy its 3 skiable peaks, 139 trails, 19 glades, the record-setting 8 kilometre run, and 13 lifts.. Beyond the slopes, Sun Peaks is known for its charming alpine village, diverse dining offerings and fun activities like yoga, axe throwing, horse-drawn sleigh rides and more than 34 kilometres of Nordic trails for snowmobiling, fat biking and snowshoeing.
Upcoming events: Sun Peaks Demo Days, Peak Pride, Elleboard All Girls Snowboard Camp, Sip, Savour & Ski Culinary Festival, Easter Extravaganza, and Slush Cup.
A not-for-profit, community-run ski area carved into the hills of Southern British Columbia, Phoenix Mountain is a haven for snow sport lovers offering 800 feet of vertical. The iconic T-bar gives riders a breathtaking bird’s eye view of the winter wonderland on the 6-minute ride up to access its 17 official downhill runs.
All mountain villages are all accessible within under an hour from the nearest city and under two hours from the nearest airports: Penticton Airport (YYF), Kelowna International Airport (YLW) and Kamloops Airport (YKA).
Thompson Okanagan Showcased at GoMedia Canada
The TOTA Team Represented the Thompson Okanagan region at GoMedia Canada in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, September 25–27, 2023.
The TOTA team represented the Thompson Okanagan region at GoMedia Canada in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, September 25–27, 2023.
GoMedia offers a chance for top tier media and editors from multiple well known outlets to meet and learn about destinations throughout Canada. At this event, the TOTA team met with media delegates at a marketplace event and throughout the conference sharing stories and pitches of the region with the hope of resulting in media coverage.
TOTA Marketing Team Showcased Thompson Okanagan at Travel Classics West Conference
The Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association was recently involved with the Travel Classics West Conference that took place in Vancouver, BC on September 14 to 17, 2023.
The Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association was recently involved with the Travel Classics West Conference that took place in Vancouver, BC on September 14 to 17, 2023. TOTA, in partnership with local CDMOs and businesses, were able to host two pre-conference press trips in the North Thompson and the Central to South Okanagan. These trips were attended by editors and writers providing them with a taste of the world class destinations that call this region home.
Along with the press trips, TOTA had a booth at the conference’s opening marketplace where Chef Ned Bell of Buy BC prepared and served a grilled cheese with apple relish topped with apple vinaigrette, all made with locally sourced Thompson Okanagan ingredients. 50 writers and editors from across North America attended the conference.
The Travel Classics West Conference brings writers and editors together, making it an important event for TOTA to showcase the Thompson Okanagan. The conference is an opportunity for TOTA’s marketing team to entice travel media to experience the region for themselves and share it with their readers.
Okanagan Reconnect 5-Week Podcast Series | Tasting Room Radio
With the assistance and support of TOTA, on Aug 3, 2021, Terry David Mulligan of Tasting Room Radio headed back to the Okanagan to reconnect with winery owners, winemakers,nd chefs in the Okanagan Valley and create a 5-week podcast series.
With the assistance and support of TOTA, on Aug 3, 2021, Terry David Mulligan of Tasting Room Radio headed back to the Okanagan to reconnect with winery owners, winemakers, and chefs in the Okanagan Valley and create a 5-week podcast series.
Featured companies include:
Rickard and Jill Richardson Branby – Sperling Vineyards
Jay Drysdale – Co-Founder and Winemaker Bella Wines
Master of Wine Marcus Ansems – Co-Founder and Winemaker Daydreamer Wines
Exec Chef Ned Bell and Sommelier Emily Walker
Penelope and Dylan Roche – co-founders / winemakers of Roche Wines
Kathy Malone – Chief Winemaker Hillside Winery
Mark Filatow - Executive chef and Sommelier Waterfront Wines Restaurant
David Patterson – GM and Winemaker at Tantalus Vineyards
Jason Parkes - Founder of The Hatch Wines
Grayson Riordan, Mikayla Jones, Graham Dell – Manager Black Swift/Manager The Hatch/CFO
Ellen Walker-Mathews – new CEO of TOTA
Jeff Hundertmark – Chef Winemaker of Mt Boucherie and Rust Wine Co
Christine Coletta, Matt Dumayne and Duncan Billing – Founder of Okanagan Crush Pad and Haywire Wines/OCP Winemaker and Director of Viticulture
Direct Flights from Downtown Vancouver to Okanagan Lake Now Available
Harbour Air and Eldorado Resort have partnered to provide weekly round trip flights from Downtown Vancouver to a private dock situated in the Eldorado Resort Marina on Okanagan Lake for summer 2021. A special package will combine air travel through Harbour Air and accommodation at the Eldorado Resort.
Harbour Air and Eldorado Resort announced an official partnership to provide weekly round trip flights from Downtown Vancouver to a private dock situated in the Eldorado Resort Marina on Okanagan Lake. A special package will combine air travel through Harbour Air and accommodation at the Eldorado Resort.
Mark Jeanes, the General Manager of Eldorado Resort said, “the Eldorado Resort is delighted to be working in partnership with Harbour Air who, as many people may know, is the largest all-seaplane airline in the world. Harbour Air customers have come to expect the very best in terms of service excellence and safety, and so for the Eldorado Resort, working with Harbour Air was a natural fit for us. This new air service also creates another seamless option for guests from the Lower Mainland wanting to come and explore the Okanagan, with the flight time being just over an hour from city centre to city centre.”
“Getting people directly to the heart of where they want to be on the coast is what we are known for,” said Harbour Air’s CEO, Greg McDougall. “Now, with working with the beautiful Eldorado Resort, we finally have an opportunity to offer that same service into a beautiful property on Okanagan Lake and we couldn’t be more excited.”
Eldorado Resort is a world class full-service waterfront resort and Kelowna’s only full waterfront resort, with two hotels beautifully located on the shores of Okanagan Lake, minutes from downtown, golf, wineries, and ski resorts. The Eldorado Resort onsite dining experiences uses fresh, regional farm-to-table ingredients and local Okanagan wine.
This unique opportunity will operate from July to September 6, 2021.