A tourism strategy for the Thompson Okanagan region of British Columbia

Client:

Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA)

The challenge:

TOTA commissioned the preparation of a regional strategy to provide a ‘road-map’ to give direction for the development of tourism within the region over ten years and a framework for stakeholders to work together towards a shared vision and common goals. It is a region where traditionally the stakeholders have not worked together well, so it was a primary requirement to engage them in the process, during both the information and opinion gathering stage and in the strategy development work.

Services provided:

Extensive desk research and a review of international, national, provincial, regional and local strategies. TEAM re-analysed existing data and completed field research, which included site visits and one-to-one discussions with tourism operators and related organisations. TEAM also held workshops to focus on the opportunities for the development of Aboriginal cultural tourism.

Outcome:

The draft summary was presented to 175 attendees at the annual Thompson Okanagan Tourism Summit as a keynote session. The Summit also included an opportunity for delegates to review display material about the strategy and provided time for feedback and discussion within an ‘open house’ area.