
The Organization
Mission Statement: Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) exists to increase members' revenue and sustainability through cooperative marketing, ongoing education, and government liaison to ensure life is good.
TOTA has contracted with the Crown Corporation of the Province of British Columbia (Tourism BC) whose mandate includes marketing the province's tourism product.
Creative partnerships with local, regional, provincial and federal partners provide opportunities for co-operative marketing initiatives.
The TOTA office is located in Kelowna, with a satellite office in Kamloops, and represents members located in a geographic area from Christina Lake in the east to Mount Robson in the north, and from Lillooet and Princeton in the west.
Membership and Structure
Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association is an umbrella organization. Members in good standing may access co-operative funding on approved marketing programs.
TOTA aggressively markets its' members at trade shows with tour operators and media from around the world. Complete lead lists are available to members upon request.
TOTA conducts promotional activities and direct resident awareness programs, with statistics available to the membership.
TOTA takes an active part in planning and hosting various industry influencers on a regular basis.
TOTA collects Return on Investment (ROI) from members to evaluate the effectiveness of selected marketing programs.
The TOTA brand name (Thompson Okanagan) is a name created to represent many geographic areas, and it is a name created to assist in the fulfillment of our destinations' marketing objectives.
Destination Marketing
Thompson Okanagan Tourism products are marketed under a "TOTA Banner", and member's ads are eligible for funding. The priorities of TOTA's marketing plan focus on products with the greatest propensity for increased revenues in shoulder seasons and consists of:
These products are targeted to specific audiences ranging from local (British Columbians) to long-haul (overseas) markets.
Co-operative funded programs maintain a near-in focus, however opportunities exist to include long-haul destinations targeted to trade activities.
TOTA keeps members informed through a varied network of phone calls, faxes, meetings, newsletters, and the internet.
All members are welcome to contact TOTA. We are available to answer questions Monday to Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm (excluding statutory holidays) all year.