Thompson Okanagan & bookeco Join Forces to Connect People with Eco-Friendly Tourism Providers

TOTA News

Mar 1

Written By Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association

The Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) and bookeco have formed a strategic alliance and partnership to promote sustainable tourism products and services in the Thompson Okanagan region of British Columbia, Canada.

bookeco is an online platform that connects people to eco-friendly places to stay, things to do, and places to eat and drink. Launched in November of 2021 with an initial focus on the Canadian market, bookeco already has over 1,200 sustainability focused businesses listed on its platform and boasts a rapidly growing eco-conscious customer base. As a map-based platform, bookeco also gives the added advantage of highlighting eco-friendly businesses that are local to users.

bookeco is helping to rebuild the tourism industry by implementing a subscription based model to save sustainability focused businesses on high third party booking fees, and giving businesses the option to drive customers directly to their website. bookeco is focused on helping the tourism industry fight climate change through sustainability, which includes planting trees for every booking made.

“The bookeco platform makes it easy for people to find and select eco-conscious travel options in order to minimize the impact of tourism on the planet,“ said Ellen Walker-Matthews, TOTA CEO. “We look forward to sharing the Thompson Okanagan’s sustainable travel providers with people planning a trip.”

The Thompson Okanagan region is nestled in the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. Home to over 120 communities, including 33 Indigenous communities, the landscape is as varied as the tallest peak in the Canadian Rockies to the semi-arid climate of the Okanagan Desert. This diverse area with 9 sub-regions ranges from Christina Lake and the Shuswap to the east, Cache Creek and Princeton to the west, Valemount and Mount Robson in the north, and Osoyoos and Midway in the south near the Canada-US border.

“We are excited to partner with TOTA, an organization which shares a similar sustainability vision to bookeco,” said Liam Duffy, bookeco Co-Founder. “The Thompson Okanagan region being a Biosphere Certified Gold Destination is a testament to TOTA’s sustainability focus. This partnership offers an exciting opportunity to connect bookeco’s eco-conscious customers to the incredible sustainability focused businesses in the Thompson Okanagan region.”

As part of the partnership, bookeco will feature the Thompson Okanagan as a sustainable destination.

Thompson Okanagan tourism businesses who demonstrate sustainable practices will have the opportunity to be featured on the bookeco website. TOTA Biosphere Committed Companies will receive up to 4 months free when they sign up for the bookeco Advantage Plan.

The partnership agreement will also include a series of projects to promote sustainable tourism and responsible tourism providers through email and social media initiatives.

About the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA):

The Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) is a non-profit society, governed by an elected Board of Directors, which represents business and community tourism interests of the Thompson Okanagan region of British Columbia. TOTA is supported by and representative of Destination British Columbia and the B.C. Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture, and Sport.

TOTA is an industry-led organization that represents and supports all business and community tourism interests in the region, while also helping to implement provincial tourism policies.

Learn more at TOTABC.org.

About bookeco:

Founded in Canada, bookeco was launched in November 2021 with a goal to help neutralize tourism’s negative impact on the planet. As a map-based platform, bookeco connects people to eco-friendly places to stay, things to do and places to eat and drink. For every booking made, bookeco plants trees.

Learn more at bookeco.com.