The Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA), of which the North Thompson is a part, has been named the Tourism Laureate and winner of the International Place Marketing Award at the Place Marketing Forum in Lille, France, for its leadership work in Sustainable Responsible Tourism.
The awards “recognize the most emblematic achievements of place marketing worldwide” and projects were selected based on criteria that included; innovation or idea bringing a major improvement in one or more areas, remarkable results with unquestionable qualitative and quantitative results, and emblematic projects practice or realization that is emblematic of current trends and new practices in place marketing.
The Forum is an annual two-day event organized by the New Place Marketing and Attractiveness Chair (A&NMT) of the Public Management Institute (Aix-Marseille University) that brings together international leaders, elected officials, and decision-makers to exchange best practices in destination marketing around the globe.
As part of winning this award, TOTA CEO and President, Glenn Mandziuk, was recognized as a Laureate by the University and presented on the collective efforts of the Thompson Okanagan region to the over 500 in attendance.
“Our team is so honoured to be recognized for our collective work in sustainable destination marketing and to have this opportunity to share the exciting initiatives underway in our region with the world”, says Mandziuk. “This would not be possible without the strong collaboration of our industry stakeholders, community Destination Marketing Organizations, corporate partners, Destination BC and the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture, whom we are so grateful for their support and innovative activities.”
TOTA is committed to creating a strong and healthy tourism economy while minimizing the impact on natural and cultural resources by promoting sustainable business practices and responsible travel. The Association is guided by “Embracing Our Potential,” a 10-year Regional Tourism Strategy, working to strengthen seasonality, territorial cohesion, preservation of the environment, and enhancing local culture.
In the tourism category, TOTA was able to receive the award over some incredible international organizations and projects including:
Amsterdam Marketing, City of Amsterdam – Netherlands
America’s Musical Journey, Brand USA – United States
Comptoir des Loisirs d’Evreux – France
Culture Captcha – Kenya Tourism Board – Kenya
Made in Pic Saint Loup Association – France
Bisca Grands Iacs Tourist Office – France
Route of Industrial Culture, Ruhr Region – Germany
Biot Glass Factory – France
Visit Victoria – Australia
Wonderful Copenhagen – Denmark
The TOTA region gets its name from two major geographic features, the Thompson River and Okanagan Lake. This diverse area ranges from Christina Lake and the Shuswap to the east, Cache Creek and Princeton to the west, Mount Robson in the north, and Osoyoos in the south. The Thompson Okanagan region is home to over 90 communities and hamlets and is roughly 71,600 km² / 27,644 mi² or the same size as Ireland, making it equivalent in size to the 70th largest country in the world. This region has over 3,200 tourism industry stakeholders.
