Thompson Okanagan sets tourism bar high
Regional association leading the way, Glenn Mandziuk says.
Earlier this month, the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Region became the first destination in all of the Americas to earn the Biosphere Destination certification, recognized by UNESCO and the United Nations.
Admittedly, many people outside the tourism industry may not have heard of this distinction. For those who haven’t, it places our region in an exclusive class of global tourism destinations that only 20 others across the planet, and no others in North, Central or South America, have achieved to date.
“Overtourism” is a relatively new term quickly becoming mainstream, as more and more global destinations realize the need for sustainable tourism. This was just one of the factors that motivated the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) to embark on obtaining the sustainable tourism designation.
Why is this important? Around the world, leaders are demanding organizations and regions of all kinds find ways to become truly sustainable. From the United Nations on down, governments have recognized the way humankind consumes products — be that water, food or energy — and the way we balance socio-economic needs and basic human rights of citizens is not sustainable at best, and in many cases truly irresponsible.
Worldwide, continued annual increases in tourism since 2008 is at four per cent, and is expected to double by 2030 to 2.8 billion travellers — it is critical that plans are in place to manage demand, and develop tourism in a responsible and respectful manner.
The Biosphere Destination certification was created by the Responsible Tourism Institute (RTI) to set a global standard for one of the few universal industries that applies to almost every country — tourism.
The certification is based on the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals integrated in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It contains a series of certifications to ensure compliance with certain requirements regarding the principles of sustainability and continuous improvement in line with UN and UNESCO principles.
The RTI maintains a memorandum of understanding with UNESCO, is affiliated to the World Tourism Organization, and is a member of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council.
Earning the certification was no easy feat. The Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association is now accountable to continuously meet 137 different benchmarks.
Just some of the criteria include meeting labour standards, basic human rights and freedoms, policies to prevent sexual exploitation, gender equality standards, sustainable and clean water supplies, sustainable transportation, wildlife protection, waste control, and greenhouse gas emissions.
Each year, TOTA must prove we are meeting these standards or the certification will be withdrawn and our ability to leverage it to market international tourists will be eliminated.
From our perspective, tourism is a global connector that has the unique ability to contribute toward reducing inequality within and between countries, promoting peaceful and inclusive societies, supporting environmental sustainability and creating opportunities for learning for all citizens.
Tourism is also a fiercely competitive industry and critical for jobs and economic growth, not only in the Thompson Okanagan but in all regions of British Columbia, the Pacific Northwest and throughout North America. Every year, TOTA and our members see more than 3.5 million visitors per year, generating nearly $2 billion in direct economic impact annually. Other tourism regions in our province also benefit from tourists we attract, just as we benefit from their successful efforts.
Other tourism destinations across North America are in a race to earn this distinction to leverage their marketing appeal to consumers on a global basis.
The Thompson Okanagan Tourism Region was the first to earn the Biosphere Destination certification, but we won’t be the last. We will be working with other tourism regions in our province to share what we learned from this long, rigorous process in the hopes B.C. can become a global leader in responsible tourism.
Not only is this important for the tourism industry, but it shows our region is a leader when it comes to environmental sustainability and social responsibility.
Committing to meeting such high standards will benefit communities and industries across B.C.