News & Resources
The latest Thompson Okanagan tourism industry news from TOTA, tourism businesses, and communities.
Top Tips for a Successful Photo or Video Shoot | Destination BC Learning Centre
Planning a photography or video shoot can be a time and resource intensive endeavour; but, with extra care put towards a few key steps in the process, you can get a great return on your effort.
Read up on Destination BC's top tips to help you navigate the shoot planning and production process.
Planning a photography or video shoot can be a time and resource intensive endeavour; but, with extra care put towards a few key steps in the process, you can get a great return on your effort.
Read up on Destination BC's top tips to help you navigate the shoot planning and production process.
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.
Post a Job on the go2HR Job Board
The go2HR job board is free for tourism and hospitality employers operating in British Columbia. Post jobs and hiring events to find quality employees in Accommodation, Food and Beverage Services, Recreation and Entertainment, Transportation, and Travel Services.
The go2HR Job Board receives 20,000 monthly visits from qualified candidates looking for front-line, supervisory, management or executive positions.
The go2HR job board is free for tourism and hospitality employers operating in British Columbia. Post jobs and hiring events to find quality employees in Accommodation, Food and Beverage Services, Recreation and Entertainment, Transportation, and Travel Services.
The go2HR Job Board receives 20,000 monthly visits from qualified candidates looking for front-line, supervisory, management or executive positions.
How to Make St. Patrick's Day Eco-Friendly
St. Patrick’s Day is annual celebration of Irish culture on March 17, featuring green outfits, decorations, beer, and food. Like other holidays, celebrations may result in consumerism and unnecessary waste.
As a Biosphere Destination, we encourage and challenge tourism professionals to make St. Patrick’s Day more eco-friendly and greener this year, and every year.
TOTA has compiled tips to make St. Patrick’s Day even greener with a few eco-friendly activities or actions.
St. Patrick’s Day is annual celebration of Irish culture on March 17, featuring green outfits, decorations, beer, and food. Like other holidays, celebrations may result in consumerism and unnecessary waste.
As a Biosphere Destination, we encourage and challenge tourism professionals to make St. Patrick’s Day more eco-friendly and greener this year, and every year.
TOTA has compiled the following tips to make St. Patrick’s Day even greener with a few eco-friendly activities or actions:
Eat green - make food and beverages with local produce, reduce food waste, and compost what can’t be used.
Drink green local and/or organic beer.
Decorate green - use biodegradable or reusable decor, rather than single-use plastic decorations. If needed, Recycle paper, cardboard, and hard plastic decorations.
Host events outside in the fresh air to improve health and wellness.
Plant something green in the garden.
Encourage guests to use green transportation options, like bikes, buses, shuttles, or carpooling.
Dress green - Sell green clothing made of responsibly sourced and sustainable materials, such as organic cotton and wear reusable outfits.
Wines of British Columbia Ambassador Program - Level 1 & 2 Now Available
Registration is now open for the Wines of BC Ambassador Program, a one-of-a-kind, exclusively B.C. focused series of educational courses designed to share what makes B.C. wine so unique, and worth getting in your glass.
Level 1: Introduction is an online certification designed for everyone making, growing, serving, or simply enjoying B.C. wine. Wine professionals can use promo code BCWINETRADE22 for a complimentary course.
Level 2: Intermediate is a more in-depth course offered in-person by a trained Ambassador Facilitator, and includes an educational tasting of B.C. wines alongside international benchmarks. This course will give you more in-depth knowledge and understanding of the regions, subregions, soils and wine laws that affect the production of BC wine. Highly recommended for wine professionals in the winery, retail, and restaurant setting.
The course will be hosted in Kelowna, Kamloops, and other B.C. and Alberta communities.
Registration is now open for the Wines of BC Ambassador Program, a one-of-a-kind, exclusively B.C. focused series of educational courses designed to share what makes B.C. wine so unique, and worth getting in your glass.
Level 1: Introduction is an online certification designed for everyone making, growing, serving, or simply enjoying B.C. wine. Wine professionals can use promo code BCWINETRADE22 for a complimentary course.
Level 2: Intermediate is a more in-depth course offered in-person by a trained Ambassador Facilitator, and includes an educational tasting of B.C. wines alongside international benchmarks. This course will give you more in-depth knowledge and understanding of the regions, subregions, soils and wine laws that affect the production of BC wine. Highly recommended for wine professionals in the winery, retail, and restaurant setting.
The course will be hosted in Kelowna, Kamloops, and other B.C. and Alberta communities.
Service Provider Feature & Discount: Rezgo Booking Platform
The Rezgo booking platform has flexible tools designed to help manage your business efficiently, market more effectively, process payments faster and more securely, and make smart decisions informed by real-world data—no matter the scale or the volume of your business.
Customers can book on any device through your website or a convenient white-label service, and you can take secure payments online, in person, or over the phone with the payment gateway of choice. The system helps to build better relationships with your customers with in-depth reporting, email automation, comprehensive waivers, and verified reviews.
Rezgo has no monthly subscriptions, booking volume costs, or user account limits. The only cost is the payment fee for bookings, so you only pay when you’re doing business. The fee can be included in the transaction so customers cover the fee.
Rezgo is offering a discounted rate to Thompson Okanagan tourism businesses of 3.4% (-1.5% off listed price) for front-end online bookings. To receive the discount, tell the Rezgo sales/support team that you are a TOTA stakeholder.
The Rezgo booking platform has flexible tools designed to help manage your business efficiently, market more effectively, process payments faster and more securely, and make smart decisions informed by real-world data—no matter the scale or the volume of your business.
Customers can book on any device through your website or a convenient white-label service, and you can take secure payments online, in person, or over the phone with the payment gateway of choice. The system helps to build better relationships with your customers with in-depth reporting, email automation, comprehensive waivers, and verified reviews.
There are no monthly subscriptions, booking volume costs, or user account limits. The only cost is the payment fee for bookings, so you only pay when you’re doing business. The fee can be included in the transaction so customers cover the fee.
Rezgo is Canadian owned and operated, headquartered in Vancouver.
Rezgo is offering a discounted rate to Thompson Okanagan tourism businesses of 3.4% (-1.5% off listed price) for front-end online bookings. To receive the discount, tell the Rezgo sales/support team that you are a TOTA stakeholder.
IMPACT Tourism Sustainability Conference | May 8-11, 2022
On May 8 to 11, 2022, industry leaders will gather in Victoria for IMPACT, work to ensure tourism across Canada comes back far more sustainable and regenerative than it was before COVID.
During this time of disru ption in the world, tourism can support jobs, the economy, conservation, culture, and peace. Sustainable tourism is a collaborative effort that needs many diverse voices to result in positive action.
The founders of IMPACT have worked hard to build out a program that features experts, case studies and real solution around topics including:
The Fundamentals of Diversity and Inclusion
Doughnut Economics and Tourism
Destination Master Planning
Pathways to Decarbonization for Tourism
Ancient Ecosystems and the value of biodiversity
Decolonization of Tourism
Clean Tech solutions for Tourism
A vision for regenerative tourism
Join these sessions to see exceptional speakers like Wade Davis, Keith Henry, Marion Joppe, and Robert Sandford among many others to work towards a more sustainable future.
On May 8 to 11, 2022, industry leaders will gather in Victoria for IMPACT, work to ensure tourism across Canada comes back far more sustainable and regenerative than it was before COVID.
During this time of disru ption in the world, tourism can support jobs, the economy, conservation, culture, and peace. Sustainable tourism is a collaborative effort that needs many diverse voices to result in positive action.
The founders of IMPACT have worked hard to build out a program that features experts, case studies and real solution around topics including:
The Fundamentals of Diversity and Inclusion
Doughnut Economics and Tourism
Destination Master Planning
Pathways to Decarbonization for Tourism
Ancient Ecosystems and the value of biodiversity
Decolonization of Tourism
Clean Tech solutions for Tourism
A vision for regenerative tourism
Join these sessions to see exceptional speakers like Wade Davis, Keith Henry, Marion Joppe, and Robert Sandford among many others to work towards a more sustainable future.
Measuring Sustainability: The State of the Canadian Tourism Industry | GreenStep Sustainable Tourism
GreenStep shared a report on how the Canadian tourism industry is performing in regards to sustainability based on data from hundreds of tourism businesses across Canada who completed the Sustainability Score assessment.
In 2021, GreenStep launched the Sustainable Tourism 2030 Pledge in partnership with the Tourism Industry Association of Canada, encouraging tourism businesses and destinations across the country to measure their sustainability performance using the free online Sustainability Score assessment based upon the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) criteria, and to make a commitment to improving this performance each year until 2030.
The Sustainable Tourism Dashboard enables anonymous aggregation of the results to help tourism destinations, policy makers, and other industry stakeholders understand how the tourism industry is performing at a local, provincial, national, and eventually international level.
GreenStep shared a report on how the Canadian tourism industry is performing in regards to sustainability based on data from hundreds of tourism businesses across Canada who completed the Sustainability Score assessment.
In 2021, GreenStep launched the Sustainable Tourism 2030 Pledge in partnership with the Tourism Industry Association of Canada, encouraging tourism businesses and destinations across the country to measure their sustainability performance using the free online Sustainability Score assessment based upon the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) criteria, and to make a commitment to improving this performance each year until 2030.
The Sustainable Tourism Dashboard enables anonymous aggregation of the results to help tourism destinations, policy makers, and other industry stakeholders understand how the tourism industry is performing at a local, provincial, national, and eventually international level.
Accessible Employers Guide to Measure Disability Inclusion in Your Workplace
Organizations measure what they want to improve, so if hiring people with disabilities is a priority for you as an employer, measuring disability is a key place to start.
The Make it Count: Measuring for Disability Inclusion in Your Workplace is a practical guide for employers looking to measure the rate of disability in their workplaces.
Download a free copy of the Make it Count Guide to create a disability measurement initiative that fits the unique context of your organization!
Organizations measure what they want to improve, so if hiring people with disabilities is a priority for you as an employer, measuring disability is a key place to start.
The Make it Count: Measuring for Disability Inclusion in Your Workplace is a practical guide for employers looking to measure the rate of disability in their workplaces.
Download a free copy of the Make it Count Guide to create a disability measurement initiative that fits the unique context of your organization!
BC Hotel Association InnFocus Magazine Spring 2022 Edition
The BC Hotel Association released the first issue of Innfocus Magazine of 2022. Among the wealth of information and content featured in the Spring issue, are articles that include:
Attracting US Visitors
The Pandemic's Legacy
New Practices in Food & Beverage
Recruiting Programs
Region Feature: Kootenay Cool
Leader of the Future: Cat Mackintosh
Hotelier Feature: Debie Hemich
GoGreen: GreenStep EcoFund
Wellbeing and Travel
Grappling with Ghost Hotels
How do we Get BC on Bucket Lists of World Travellers?
What's New?
... and much, MUCH more!
The BC Hotel Association released the first issue of Innfocus Magazine of 2022. Among the wealth of information and content featured in the Spring issue, are articles that include:
Attracting US Visitors
The Pandemic's Legacy
New Practices in Food & Beverage
Recruiting Programs
Region Feature: Kootenay Cool
Leader of the Future: Cat Mackintosh
Hotelier Feature: Debie Hemich
GoGreen: GreenStep EcoFund
Wellbeing and Travel
Grappling with Ghost Hotels
How do we Get BC on Bucket Lists of World Travellers?
What's New?
... and much, MUCH more!
Tourism and Hospitality Focused Summer Courses | Okanagan College
Okanagan College is currently offering low-cost programming to support the Tourism and Hospitality sector throughout the summer months. They are pleased to offer short courses delivered online that will fit both your schedule and provide additional support.
Employers may be reimbursed for 60% of training costs through the BC Employer Training Grant (ETG), a reimbursement program from WorkBC for employers to support workforce training. The Okanagan College training programs falls into the Workforce Training Stream.
Okanagan College is currently offering low-cost programming to support the Tourism and Hospitality sector throughout the summer months. They are pleased to offer short courses delivered online that will fit both your schedule and provide additional support.
Employers may be reimbursed for 60% of training costs through the BC Employer Training Grant (ETG), a reimbursement program from WorkBC for employers to support workforce training. The Okanagan College training programs falls into the Workforce Training Stream.
Funding for Intern Programs | Mitacs
Mitacs designs and delivers research and training programs in Canada, including the Business Strategy Internship and Accelerate Program, which match an organization’s funding towards the project, up to $7,500, which covers a student’s stipend. BSIs are focused on designing and implementing an innovation strategy to tackle a business problem. Accelerate supports research projects that are eligible for peer-review.
Mitacs designs and delivers research and training programs in Canada, including the Business Strategy Internship and Accelerate Program, which match an organization’s funding towards the project, up to $7,500, which covers a student’s stipend. BSIs are focused on designing and implementing an innovation strategy to tackle a business problem. Accelerate supports research projects that are eligible for peer-review.
Business Strategy Internship
Mitacs is bringing their Business Strategy Internship (BSI) program back for a second year. The BSI connects students from academic institutions with businesses and nonprofits to support innovation. With the guidance of an academic supervisor, these interns provide technical expertise on everything from operations to finance, to marketing, to intellectual property, and beyond to help businesses develop and implement their innovation roadmap—and Mitacs funding will support you to bring these students onboard!
Accelerate Program
The Accelerate Program supports organizations to enlist students to work on research projects. Solve your research challenges with academic expertise, leveraged funding, and one-to-one support from Mitacs. Internships start at four months and can scale up as much as you need — your financial contribution starts at $7,500.
CleanBC Communities Fund Intake 3 Now Open | Apply by May 25, 2022
The CleanBC Communities Fund (CCF) intake 3 is now accepting applications to fund projects that support the management of renewable energy, access to clean energy transportation, improved energy efficiency of buildings, and generation of clean energy. The fund invests in public infrastructure owned by local governments, Indigenous communities, not-for-profits and projects in partnership with for-profit entities.
The CleanBC Communities Fund (CCF) intake 3 is now accepting applications to fund projects that support the management of renewable energy, access to clean energy transportation, improved energy efficiency of buildings, and generation of clean energy. The fund invests in public infrastructure owned by local governments, Indigenous communities, not-for-profits and projects in partnership with for-profit entities.
Integrating People with Disabilities into the Workplace
There are several B.C. employment agencies that help to successfully match tourism employers with non-traditional labour pools, including people with disabilities.
Once the recruitment process is done, how can employers look beyond obligatory compliance to accommodate people with disabilities so they can do their jobs as effectively as possible?
Learn more in go2HR’s guide to Integrating People with Disabilities into the Workplace →
There are several B.C. employment agencies that help to successfully match tourism employers with non-traditional labour pools, including people with disabilities.
Once the recruitment process is done, how can employers look beyond obligatory compliance to accommodate people with disabilities so they can do their jobs as effectively as possible?
Learn more in go2HR’s guide to Integrating People with Disabilities into the Workplace →
New BC Tourism Learning Portal from the BC Tourism Resiliency Network
The British Columbia Tourism Resiliency Network (BCTRN) launched the BC Tourism Learning Portal, a free resource designed to support all B.C. tourism businesses through long-term access to resources.
The portal includes a high-functioning search tool so tourism businesses can ask a question and be provided with helpful information, including: articles, webinar recordings, case studies, links to resources on other sites, and experts offered by the Tourism Resiliency Program.
Thompson Okanagan companies can combine the learning portal with free 1-1 support from a TOTA Advisor through the Tourism Resiliency Program.
The recordings from the British Columbia Tourism Resiliency Network Online Learning Day held September 28, 2021 are now available on the Learning Portal, and new content will be added on an ongoing basis.
Access Resources at Learn.TourismResiliency.ca
The British Columbia Tourism Resiliency Network (BCTRN) launched the BC Tourism Learning Portal, a free resource designed to support all B.C. tourism businesses through long-term access to resources.
The portal includes a high-functioning search tool so tourism businesses can ask a question and be provided with helpful information, including: articles, webinar recordings, case studies, links to resources on other sites, and experts offered by the Tourism Resiliency Program.
Thompson Okanagan companies can combine the learning portal with free 1-1 support from a TOTA Advisor through the Tourism Resiliency Program.
The recordings from the British Columbia Tourism Resiliency Network Online Learning Day held September 28, 2021 are now available on the Learning Portal, and new content will be added on an ongoing basis.
Access Resources at Learn.TourismResiliency.ca
BSAFE™️ Program Updated with Proof of Vaccination Information
go2HR's free online health and safety program for employees, BSAFE, has been updated to reflect Provincial Health Orders. BSAFE now includes BC Proof of Vaccination protocols as well as Step 3 of BC’s Restart Plan.
go2HR's free online health and safety program for employees, BSAFE, has been updated to reflect Provincial Health Orders. BSAFE now includes BC Proof of Vaccination protocols as well as Step 3 of BC’s Restart Plan.
This program is designed to ensure foundational health and safety knowledge for BC’s tourism and hospitality businesses to keep everyone — workers, guests and communities — safe as we continue to move through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Course details:
Free for BC tourism and hospitality employers and employees
Created by go2HR in partnership with tourism and hospitality stakeholders and the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sports
Asynchronous, online training course, 90-minutes in length
Organizations and individuals are able to sign up to take part in the BSAFE training. You can join the over 400 organizations who are already registered and working on becoming BSAFE Trained businesses. Upon full completion of the course, participants will receive a certificate of achievement.
Employers who have 75% of their workforce successfully complete the training course, will be recognized with a “BSAFE Trained” certificate. They can use this certificate in different ways to demonstrate their commitment to providing a safe environment for guests and workers, thereby increasing consumer confidence. go2HR will provide a communications toolkit for BSAFE Trained business to easily assist them in promoting this new designation.
Student Hiring Resources from ACE-WIL - Association for Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning BC/Yukon
ACE-WIL BC/Yukon, the Association of Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning, connects post-secondary students and employers for co-operative education and work-integrated learning experiences. Work-integrated learning (WIL) is a model and process of curricular experiential education which formally and intentionally integrates a student’s academic studies within a workplace or practice setting.
ACE-WIL offers several resources for hospitality and tourism employers, including:
Talent MATCH: Talk to an advisor to learn which student talent programs best fits your organizational needs. Talent MATCH will connect you to the appropriate post-secondary school(s) and help you identify funding sources and wage subsidies. Organizations of all sizes are eligible through go2HR.
Resource Hub: The ACE-WIL Resource Hub offers tips for recruiting, accessing funding, and managing students remotely. You’ll find webinars, events, and funding opportunities.
Student Recruitment Guide: Talent MATCH created a student recruitment guide with lists of post-secondary institutions with hospitality, tourism, and culinary related programs and student hiring timelines.
ACE-WIL BC/Yukon, the Association of Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning, connects post-secondary students and employers for co-operative education and work-integrated learning experiences. ACE-WIL is a provincial not-for-profit that works with 25 accredited, publicly funded, post-secondary institutions in the BC/Yukon region that offer co-op and work-integrated learning programs.
Work-integrated learning (WIL) is a model and process of curricular experiential education which formally and intentionally integrates a student’s academic studies within a workplace or practice setting. WIL experiences include an engaged partnership between an academic institution, a host organization, and a student.
Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) students can offer so much to your organization, whether it’s taking on a one-off research project, developing a safety plan or user manual, managing your social media channels, handling accounting duties, plus so much more.
Talent MATCH
Talk to an advisor to learn which student talent programs best fits your organizational needs. Talent MATCH will connect you to the appropriate post-secondary school(s) and help you identify funding sources and wage subsidies. Organizations of all sizes are eligible through go2HR.
Resource Hub
The ACE-WIL Resource Hub offers tips for recruiting, accessing funding, and managing students remotely. You’ll find webinars, events, and funding opportunities.
Student Recruitment Guide
Talent MATCH created a student recruitment guide with lists of post-secondary institutions with hospitality, tourism, and culinary related programs and student hiring timelines.
Updated Destination BC Messaging Guidance on How to Travel in BC This Winter
Both federal and provincial updates to current COVID-19 restrictions and border measures are now reflected in Destination BC’s Winter Travel Guide, which provides key messaging, information and infographics, and resources for BC’s tourism industry as it relates to travel to and within BC.
Visitors will need to know what rules, recommendations and expectations are in place in BC to keep them, our residents, and our businesses safe, as they travel BC this winter. Refer people to Destination BC’s Know Before You Go page for the latest information; update any info on your site to reflect the latest recommendations.
Both federal and provincial updates to current COVID-19 restrictions and border measures are now reflected in Destination BC’s Winter Travel Guide, which provides key messaging, information and infographics, and resources for BC’s tourism industry as it relates to travel to and within BC.
Visitors will need to know what rules, recommendations and expectations are in place in BC to keep them, our residents, and our businesses safe, as they travel BC this winter. Refer people to Destination BC’s Know Before You Go page for the latest information; update any info on your site to reflect the latest recommendations.
BC Hospitality Foundation Scholarships Now Accepting Applications | Apply by March 31, 2022
The BC Hospitality Foundation (BCHF) is now accepting applications for several scholarship programs which foster the development of the next generation of hospitality industry workers and leaders.
In 2022, the BCHF scholarship program will be the largest ever, at over $65,000, and there are new scholarships dedicated exclusively to supporting members of underrepresented groups such as First Nations and members of the LGBT2Q+ community.
The deadline for most scholarship submissions is March 31, 2022.
The BC Hospitality Foundation (BCHF) is now accepting applications for several scholarship programs which foster the development of the next generation of hospitality industry workers and leaders.
In 2022, the BCHF scholarship program will be the largest ever, at over $65,000, and there are new scholarships dedicated exclusively to supporting members of underrepresented groups such as First Nations and members of the LGBT2Q+ community.
All applicants must be committed to working in British Columbia for at least the next two years.
The deadline for most scholarship submissions is March 31, 2022.
BC Tourism & Hospitality Labour Market Recovery Framework
go2HR shared the results of their labour recovery framework which was built by representatives from industry associations and regional destination management organizations and go2HR.
This framework will serve as a pathway to partnership with governments as they continue to invest in the tourism industry’s recovery and longer-term growth.
The pillars are:
Grow labour supply
Renew our value
Engage on housing
Build back stronger
Skills development
Tech transformation
go2HR shared the results of their labour recovery framework which was built by representatives from industry associations and regional destination management organizations and go2HR.
This framework will serve as a pathway to partnership with governments as they continue to invest in the tourism industry’s recovery and longer-term growth.
The pillars are:
Grow labour supply
Renew our value
Engage on housing
Build back stronger
Skills development
Tech transformation