They have chosen Earth Day, April 22, to officially announce the start of the Biosphere certification process.
Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association, along with BC Regional Tourism Secretariat, (Cariboo Chilcotin Coast, Kootenay Rockies, Northern British Columbia and Tourism Vancouver Island), have chosen Earth Day, April 22, to officially announce their start in the Biosphere certification process by celebrating the signing event of the Sustainability Commitment Charter between the RTI and the different Canadian regions.
At this major event, Biosphere certification was presented as a key component of BCRTS future planning, which will greatly contribute to a more sustainable tourism sector and help them rebuild the post-COVID tourism economy.
With the telematic delivery of the letter of commitment made by the Secretary General of the Responsible Tourism Institute, Mr. Patricio Azcárate Díaz de Losada, this first step on the road to continuous improvement and tourism sustainability of the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Tourism Association (CCCTA) became effective.
Among the personalities attending the event were: Dr. Dirk Glaesser, Director of the UNWTO Sustainable Development Program; Frank Antoine, Co-Founder of Moccasin Trails; and Dr. Paul Rogers, Co-Founder and Director of Planet Happiness.
Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA), proud of the step taken by the other "British Columbia" regions, already obtained its Biosphere Sustainable Destination certification in November 2017, being the only region to hold it. Since then, it has been working with other regional communities and their tourism stakeholders, in order to expand the scope of this initiative.
It is worth noting that from TOTA, they have taken advantage of the Biosphere Commitment Program, to help regional companies in their efforts to act responsibly and sustainably in their business operations. Also, within this program, they promoted a new initiative, the Eco-Efficiency program, with which TOTA additionally offered a guide for the reduction of energy, water and waste to all the companies that are part of this commitment.
We are pleased with this great step taken by Cariboo Chilcotin Coast, Kootenay Rockies, Northern British Columbia and Tourism Vancouver Island and hope that they will continue to add initiatives as committed, sustainable and responsible as those of their role model, Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association.
