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What's New in the Thompson Okanagan

Be sure to keep on top of the latest and greatest in the Thompson Okanagan. This section has been designed for you to have the most up to date information on all of the happenings in the region. Simply click on each of the categories above to discover the true adventures that await you!

Tourism Summit Will Boost Key Industry in the Thompson Okanagan
In less than two weeks tourism leaders from across the Thompson Okanagan will meet to see how they can make their industry - which already generates thousands of jobs and $1.75 billion per year in economic activity - an even bigger contributor to the Region's economy. more..

Tourism Leader Honoured With Prestigious National Award
A B.C. tourism leader has been honoured with one of the country's top awards for the economic development profession. At its annual convention, held last week in Peterborough, Ont., the Economic Development Association of Canada (EDAC) bestowed its President's Award on Glenn Mandziuk, Chief Executive Officer of the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA). more..

TOTA's 2011 Tourism Awards Will Recognize Excellence
The Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) has announced it will recognize the outstanding world-class quality of many of the tourism businesses and organizations across the region, through its 2011 Tourism Excellence Awards. more..

Terrafina Restaurant opens at Hester Creek Estate Winery
The South Okanagan's newest culinary showpiece is about to open its doors, just in time for spring! more..

Honey Wine is a Sweet Addition to Agritourism Business
Planet Bee Honey Farm is pleased to announce the official opening of "The Meadery at Planet Bee" on Friday, May 13, 2011. Celebrations run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with a ribbon cutting scheduled for 1:00 o'clock. The opening will take place at Planet Bee located at 5011 Bella Vista Road in Vernon. The manufacture of mead, or honey wine, represents the return of an ancient "Beverage of Love" and a new and exciting opportunity for Planet Bee to produce another value added agriculture product and offer it into the competitive global market. more..

New Lifestyle Television Show to be Filmed in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley
Fit For A King: The Renaissance of Real Food. A holistic nutritionist and a rock 'n' roller join forces to prepare meals "Fit For A King" using only a vintage Vespa, real food, and a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon. Together, they'll change the country in just 13 episodes. more..

Kelowna-Area Wineries Unveil 5 Trails
They are the pioneer wineries of the BC wine industry. They trailblazed the Okanagan Valley wine brand, bringing home the valley's first international awards. They became landmarks for the wine tourism experience in the region, and now they've launched a destination wine touring experience along with their neighbours that will redefine why Kelowna is "Ripe with Surprises." Indeed, the area's wineries together with Tourism Kelowna are promoting five distinct wine trails between Lake Country and West Kelowna, rich in both history and cutting-edge spirit, each with a big personality to match. more..

The Canadian Tour's Western Championship golf event is coming to Kamloops and Rivershore Golf Links!
The local organizing committee for the Canadian Tour's Western Championship golf event is excited about hosting the first ever Canadian Tour golf event in Kamloops from June 6 - 12, 2011 at Rivershore Golf Links. more..

Okanagan Beaches Ranked Among Best in Canada
For decades the Okanagan's warm, sandy beaches have been popular destinations for vacationers. Now the millions of people who use the world's top travel website have confirmed that Okanagan beaches aren't just good - they're fantastic! more..

Countdown Begins to the Golden Anniversary of Tod Mountain at Sun Peaks Resort
On November 18, 1961, the Burfield Chairlift began turning for the first time, taking skiers up to the peak of Tod Mountain to access the steep and challenging terrain. At that time, the Burfield lift was the longest chairlift in North America. more..

Splat! Snowball battle coming to Apex
Riley Thompson can't believe his luck. After years of detentions for his favorite winter activity, this 10-year old from Okanagan Falls finally gets to throw snowballs without reprisal. Where does he get to indulge his guilty pleasure? At Apex Mountain Resort on April 2nd. During the last weekend of the ski season and Spring Break, Apex will host a 'snowball fight' to introduce the Okanagan to Yukigassen - the latest winter craze to hit Canada. more..

Sparkling Hill Resort Wins Prestigious 2011 Senses Wellness Award for Best Spa Resort Worldwide
The $122 million Sparkling Hill Resort opened May 21, 2010 and is already being recognized internationally for its location, design and unique offerings with the prestigious 2011 Senses Wellness Award for Best Spa Resort. more..

Announcing the MountainFest 2011 Artists Roster Canada's #1 Country Music Festival
Active Mountain Entertainment is proud to present its main stage roster for 2011. At Mountainfest, we are pleased to bring some of the best talent in country music to our stage - we have waited for a long time for some of these artists to perform at the music festival! more..

Canadian Tour Event Lands in Kamloops for 2011
The quality and variety of Kamloops' golf courses has attracted the attention of the Canadian Tour and for 2011, Kamloops will host the second BC stop on the tour June 6 - 12 at Rivershore Estates and Golf Links. The Canadian Tournaments Players Association is the governing body of the Canadian Tour and operates a series of tournaments in Canada, the United States and Latin America. The association represents more than 200 members from around the world. more..

Raudz Regional Table Named as One of Best Business Concepts in BC
Chef Rod Butters and Audrey Surrao of RauDZ Regional Table are excited to announce they are a top five finalist in the 8th Annual Small Business BC's Successful You Awards. more..

Sparkling Hill Resort Announces "Lift Off" With Eagle Pass Heliskiing
At 9:05 today Sparkling Hill Resort celebrated the inaugural flight from the resort helicopter landing zone to the nearby Monashee Mountains for resort guests who have booked a day experience skiing and riding with Eagle Pass Heliskiing. more..

Jillian Harris Inks Design Deal with Rocky Mountai
wo short years after her journey onboard the internationally acclaimed Rocky Mountaineer while filming The Bachelorette, Jillian Harris reunites with Rocky Mountaineer to take the lead role in redesigning its bi-level glass-domed GoldLeaf coach under her company, Jillian Harris Design. As a current designer and host on ABC’s hit Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Jillian is looking forward to utilizing her penchant for interior design on this exciting makeover project. more..

Dramatic Results Achieved With European Designed Cleanse and Detox Program
At Sparkling Hill Resort situated high on a cliff above Lake Okanagan good health and wellness is celebrated all year long. But starting January 2011 the resort is introducing a new program called Cleanse, designed for resort guests who are looking to take the next step in good health and wellness. more..

TOTA's New Chair Says Region's Tourism Industry is in Strong Position
The newly elected head of the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) says the region's tourism businesses and organizations have a noticeable new vitality which puts them in a strong position to compete for a bigger portion of the huge worldwide tourism market. more..

Businesses and Organizations Recognized for Tourism Excellence
Four Thompson Okanagan businesses and organizations have won region-wide recognition for their excellence in developing high-quality tourism marketing and visitor experiences. more..

Revitalized Tourism Organization Set To Market Thompson Okanagan Region
The Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) has announced that, after a year of major restructuring, it has emerged as a bold new destination management and marketing organization ready to aggressively market the region to travellers around the world. more..

TOTA Summit Insipres Renewed Commitment
EXCELLENCE More than 200 Thompson Okanagan tourism industry leaders renewed their commitment to excellence this week at a major conference designed to ensure that the region becomes a top destination attracting increasing numbers of visitors from around the world. more..

MOUNTAINFEST is BACK
Active Mountain Entertainment announces the return of Mountainfest for the summer of 2011. The high demand for the festival's return by the general public prompted the decision by the company and staff to continue with the festival's extraordinary historical journey. more..

Local Comfort Suites Gets Nod as Top Hotel
The Comfort Suites located at 2656 Highway 97 North, Kelowna, has received a 2010 APEX Award as the 'Best New Entry' by Choice Hotels Canada. more..

TOTA and TELUS Form Partnership to Boost the Region's Tourism Industry
A new landmark partnership between the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) and TELUS will provide a major telecommunications boost to help the region's tourism industry connect with its potential customers across Canada and around the world. more..

Tourism Kelowna, Wineries Form Collective
When you tally them up, the wineries that dot the Kelowna area are an impressive group. Together they form a powerful visitor draw, an unsurpassed trunk of medals and international accolades, and some of the Okanagan Valley's oldest and richest viticultural history. These and other strengths of the wine region from Lake Country through to West Kelowna will be explored in the coming months through an initiative of Tourism Kelowna and 15 area wineries with the goal of increasing tourist visitation and wine sales at participating wineries. The collective has hired Coletta & Associates Ltd to develop its strategies. more..

TOTA and Fjord West to Promote Tourism
Thompson Okanagan Tourism and Fjord West have forged a unique partnership aimed at developing new cutting-edge marketing platforms that will take advantage of today's digital tools to market this exciting tourism region as a destination for consumers. more..

TOTA & TRU Sign Landmark Agreement
The 3,200 businesses, attractions and organizations that together make up the Thompson Okanagan's tourism sector will soon be able to benefit from a new regional focus on research. more..

TOTA Co-Sponsors Major Conf Promoting Rural Toursm
Hot on the heels of B.C. having held the world's attention at last month's Winter Olympics, the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) is now joining with other groups to help communities around the region capitalize on that spotlight by finding ways to develop their tourism opportunities. more..