TOURISM – It is hard to believe the 2018 Winter Olympics and Para Olympics have already come to an end for another four years. Canadian athletes in both events certainly did our country proud bringing home 29 and 28 medals respectively and while we had some unexpected losses we certainly had a tremendous number of wins.
However, this is not going to be a review of the Winter Olympics, but a commentary on what I believe was an outstanding advertising campaign that ran extensively by Toyota during this year’s Games.
What you may or may not know is that Toyota is now in its 8th year as a sponsor of the Olympics and Paralympic Games and they have taken their role very seriously. Fundamentally, Toyota made the decision that they are no longer a car company, but rather a mobility company.
Their messages are clear, concise, and made you pay attention; they make you want to stay in the room when the commercials come on; and they made you want to see them again and again even sharing them with others.
Their resounding commentary of “Mobility is a Human Right” and “Start Your Impossible”, underscores the importance of our need to participate and enjoy the freedom of movement by all persons. They ask that we change our mindset of what is possible by anyone at any age and reinforce that physical challenges touch many lives, be they from birth, as a result of injury, or as part of the aging process.
Giving human kind the ability to participate fully in life, through whatever supports can be made available, changes the quality of life for everyone. Toyota has done a masterful job of creating stories that are engaging, inspirational, evoke emotion and are definitely memorable. They have successfully used their brand to make an important social commentary; they have used their brand for good.
Accessibility needs to be an important conversation for the Tourism Industry. As an industry we can make a difference to the lives of our residents and visitors by embracing the ideal of “Access for All”. To this end, TOTA is pleased to have recently announced our partnership with Spinal Cord Injury BC and together have launched Access BC.
Through this relationship we will be endeavouring to identify and promote tourism products and services that are accessible to all and encouraging tourism stakeholders to identify the changes they can make that will make their services welcoming to a wide array of abilities.
We may be “Starting our Impossible” as a tourism industry, but if an Automotive Company can recognize its role in advancing accessibility, there is no question in my mind that Tourism can take on this important commitment and be a part of inspiring moments for all.
Glenn Mandziuk is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Region. He can be reached at ceo@totabc.com