Summit Session: The Power of Regeneration to Transform Tourism

Learn more about the meaning of regeneration for tourism, why it has such transformative powers, and how we can not only survive but thrive with opening Keynote speakers and industry leaders Anna Pollock and Bill Reed.

Keynote Speakers:

• Anna Pollock - Conscious Travel

• Bill Reed - Regenesis Group

6 lessons from Anna's presentation:

1. Uncertainty and unpredictability are here to stay.

   "We can't impose our will upon a system. But we can learn to listen to what the system tells us, and work together to bring forth something much better."

2. Our vulnerability and interdependence are real and intensifying.

3. There are limits to "carrying capacity" but left alone, nature will heal.

4. The other existential challenges persist.

5. We're not helpless or innocent victims.

6. Resilience precedes thriving.

Regeneration is a VERB!
Definition: "To create the fertile conditions for life to thrive/flourish and to evolve"

Regeneration is NOT about LESS but MORE of the things that matter. More health, vitality, harmony, diversity, equity, opportunity, inclusivity, productivity.

Regeneration means asking different questions: "How do we create and sustain a visitor economy that tangibly enables resident individuals, businesses and communities to thrive, flourish and be healthy in every way?”

Key Takeaway from Anna: If sustainability is doing less harm, regeneration is about developing the innate capability of a system to self-organize, thrive and evolve.

Bill's presentation focused on the key features of regenerative development and highlighted several case studies, including the Loreto Bay and Playa Viva projects in Mexico.

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Summit Session Recap: Regenerative Best Practices

Learn about best practices by industry leaders in the regenerative space and the potential of a regenerative approach to tourism.

Panelists

• Bill Reed - Regenesis Group

• Ananda Fitzsimmons - Regeneration Canada

• Sam Brough - Kiwi Welcome

• Simon Heppner - Food Made Good

Highlights

Bill Reed - Regenesis Group

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Ananda Fitzsimmons - Regeneration Canada

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Sam Brough - Kiwi Welcome

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Simon Heppner - Food Made Good

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Summit Session: Legal Implications of COVID-19 On Your Business

Gain clarity on potential legal implications of the COVID-19 Pandemic on your business, including human resources, employee relations, mask policy, and working remotely with Ginger Brunner and Cameron R. Wardell.

Panelists

• Ginger Brunner - go2HR

• Cameron Wardell - Mathews Dinsdale & Clarke LLP

• Hosted by Kristi Denby, Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Tourism Association

Summit Session: Tourism Value Network

Gain an understanding of the interdependence within different parts of the tourism value network through examples of tourism businesses taking action to reduce their environmental footprint, work collectively, and make a contribution to the future viability of the visitor economy as a whole with panelists Dale Conway, James Hall, Teresa Ehman, and Barb Haynes.

Panelists

• Dale Conway - Current Taxi

• Chad Munchinsky - Kelowna International Airport

• Teresa Ehman - Air Canada

• Barb Haynes - Penticton Lakeside Resort & Conference Centre

• Hosted by Ellen Walker-Matthews, TOTA VP, Stewardship

Summit Session: The TOTA, TRU and Planet Happiness Partnership

Gain a better understanding of the happiness and well-being movement, including an overview of Planet Happiness and the Happiness Index Survey, as well as ways to get involved with panelists Dr. Paul Rogers, Dr. Laura Musikansky, Dr. John Hull, and Kaitie Worobec.

Panelists

• Dr. Paul Rogers - Planet Happiness

• Dr. Laura Musikansky - Happiness Alliance

• Dr. John Hull - Thompson Rivers University

• Kaitie Worobec, TOTA Destination Stewardship Measurement Specialist

• Hosted by Mike Overend, TOTA Director of Sustainability

Summit Session: Tourism Must Walk and Chew Gum at the Same Time ~ A Clean, Green COVID Recovery Strategy

Learn more about Climate Friendly Travel and why climate action is part of a clean, green COVID-19 Recovery Strategy with Keynote speaker Geoffrey Lipman, co-founder of the SUNx program and President of SUNx Malta.

Keynote Speaker:

• Geoffrey Lipman - SUNx Malta

• Hosted by Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO

Summit Session: Climate Action Tourism Panel

As the travel industry is joining together to tackle the climate crisis, the Summit 2020 Climate Action panelists each brought a different perspective and approach to minimizing the environmental impact of tourism. Each panelist shared tools for businesses to take action of their own.

Panelists

• Jeremy Smith - Tourism Declares Climate Emergency

• Dr. Susanne Etti - Intrepid Travel

• Dawn Hancock - Offsetters

• Christina Beckmann - Tomorrow’s Air / Adventure Travel Trade Association

• Hosted by Kaitie Worobec, TOTA Destination Stewardship Measurement Specialist

Jeremy Smith - Tourism Declares Climate Emergency

Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency co-founder, Jeremy Smith, shared (at 5:45) the story of the first community to declare a climate emergency: Darebin, Australia. Now there are over 1,838 places in the world who have declared a climate emergency, and Canada now has more climate emergency declarations than any other country, with over 505 communities. There are over 25 communities in BC alone, including Vancouver, Victoria, and many others.

Since the launch of Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency in 2020, over 120 tourism companies and destinations have joined, with more and more coming onboard everyday, including the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association. This commitment means outlining an action plan to reduce emissions and working together to reduce global emissions to save our destinations globally.

Any organization or individual can declare a climate emergency. Learn more at TourismDeclares.com.

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Dr. Susanne Etti - Intrepid Travel

Intrepid Travel’s Dr. Susanne Etti shared not only how Intrepid became the first carbon neutral tour operator in 2010 but the new actions to become carbon negative. Intrepid joined Tourism Declares and has an action plan that includes: Measuring emissions, offsetting 125% of emissions, setting science-based targets, using 100% renewable energy, making green investments, focusing on women’s empowerment and social justice, and research and innovation.

Intrepid shared tool for businesses: The 10-Step Quick Start Guide to Decarbonise your Travel Business with straightforward steps you can follow that have worked for them.

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Dawn Hancock - Offsetters

Next, Dawn Hancock shared how Offsetters can work with businesses to help them understand their climate impacts, reduce what is possible, and offset their impacts. Offsetters helps clients to go through the process of understanding impacts to compile an inventory in order to strategize how to reduce and then offset in order to become “carbon neutral.” This often leads to new efficiencies and savings for the business. They also help you choose offsets that are high quality and validated by credible third parties. They also provide marketing support so that clients get the most out of their efforts and they have two fantastic BC carbon projects so impacts are made close to home for BC businesses!

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Christina Beckmann - Tomorrow’s Air / Adventure Travel Trade Association

The final panelist, Christina Beckman Founder, Tomorrow’s Air shared the technology of carbon removal and an overview of the ATTA overview and approach to climate action by doing carbon offsetting and carbon removal and storage.  A fascinating and burgeoning area of carbon mitigation. ATTA offers offsets at a lower rate through their Neutral Together program as they use a bulk purchase format with South Pole offsets, leveraging their network of over 30,000 ATTA members. Tomorrow’s Air also leverages art and storytelling to tell the story in an engaging way.

The panelists continued with a great discussion about climate action and how you can get involved.

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Summit Session: No Tourism Is An Island

Learn more about the importance of seeing the whole picture (The Future of Tourism’s #1 Guiding Principle) when it comes to recovery, creating our new normal, and unlocking new opportunities for tourism with Keynote speaker Jeremy Sampson.

Keynote

• Jeremy Sampson - The Travel Foundation

• Hosted by Kelly Galaski, Symphony Tourism Services Managing Director

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Highlights

Jeremy had us think about what “better" means when we say "build back better" and what exactly we should be building back. Urging us to challenge our thinking about what we want the future to be and to be intentional about or success metrics. We can think about diversity, inclusion, resilience, climate action, putting communities first and focusing on net benefits, and why we want tourism, vs simply thinking in terms of growth.

Jeremy introduced the Future of Tourism Coalition, of which TOTA is a founding signatory.

Some key indicators that a new normal is building are the fact that collaboration among DMOs and their communities is happening more than ever, there is economic investment happening focused on these important regenerative issues, and additionally new controls on demand for those destinations facing overtourism in the past are being put into place.

He shares a new model of destination management that many leading destinations are striving for, as seen in the image here.

We were glad to hear also that TOTA is on the right track launching resident sentiment data collection to gauge happiness in the region as part of putting communities first and now will be working together with the Travel Foundation as well! Stay tuned for details on that new partnership.  

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Summit Session: Future Of Tourism Coalition

Learn more about how the Future of Tourism Coalition’s background and Guiding Principles, as well as regenerative best practices and the power of connection with panelists Jeremy Sampson, Paloma Zapata, and Glenn Mandziuk.

Panelists

• Jeremy Sampson - The Travel Foundation

• Paloma Zapata - Sustainable Tourism International

• Glenn Mandziuk - Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association

• Hosted by Kaitie Worobec, TOTA Destination Stewardship Measurement Specialist

Summit Session: The High ROI of Food Waste Action

Learn more about the true cost of food waste as well as the immense benefits of taking action for businesses, leaders, and consumers with speaker Ben Liegey.

Speaker

• Ben Liegey - Rethink2gether

• Hosted by Mike Overend, TOTA Director of Sustainability

Summit Session: Everything is One

Keynote Speaker Rochelle Turner shares how consumer trends and behaviour have evolved through the COVID-19 crisis, why it matters, and how businesses can adapt, thoughtfully bridge gaps, and relay value in new ways.

Keynote Speaker

• Rochelle Turner, MaCher

• Hosted by Kelly Galaski, Symphony Tourism Services, Managing Director

Summit Session: National & Provincial Recovery Efforts

Learn more about how national and provincial destination marketing organizations and tourism industry organisations are managing the COVID-19 crisis including efforts to restart and rebuild the B.C. and Canadian visitor economy while restoring traveller confidence with panelists Marsha Walden, Richard Porges, and Walt Judas.

Panelists

• Marsha Walden - Destination Canada

• Richard Porges - Destination BC

• Walt Judas - Tourism Industry Association of BC

• Hosted by Ellen Walker-Matthews, TOTA Vice President, Stewardship

Summit Session: Thriving Communities

Learn more about what it takes for destinations and tourism organizations to develop vibrant, thriving economies and communities with Paula Amos, Lisanne Ballantyne, Stephanie Molina, and Sydney Redpath.

Panelists

• Paula Amos - Indigenous Tourism BC

• Lisanne Ballantyne - Tourism Kelowna

• Stephanie Molina - Tourism Wells Gray

• Sydney Redpath - Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Tourism Marketing Association

• Hosted by Shawn Bonnough, TOTA

• Special Guest: TELUS as one of TOTA’s corporate partners. “Social purpose” is at the core of TELUS’s business model and we are pleased to have Nimmi Kanji, Director of Community Investment, joining the session.

Summit Session: Stories of Resiliency

Learn how businesses and individuals have adapted new approaches and applied creative solutions to re(build) long-term resiliency as a business and in the workplace, including business planning, mental health, resources, and preparedness.

Panelists

• Ingrid Jarrett - BC Hotel Association

• Aaryn Secker - Canadian Mental Health Association Kelowna

• Dylan Hrycyshen - Small Business BC

• Nancy Arsenault - Tourism Cafe

• Hosted by Ellen Walker-Matthews, TOTA Vice President, Stewardship

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Highlights by Panelist

Ingrid Jarrett - BC Hotel Association

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Aaryn Secker - Canadian Mental Health Association Kelowna

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Dylan Hrycyshen - Small Business BC

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Nancy Arsenault - Tourism Cafe

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