Four Okanagan businesses up for tourism honours

Photo: Big White

Big White's Powderhounds program offers unique skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing opportunities.

Four Okanagan businesses have been nominated for 2020 BC Tourism Industry Awards.

Big White Ski Resort, Wicked Wine Tour’s Gerald Lafortune, and Ogopogo Tours all cracked the final three of their respective categories, as did The Bear, The Fish, The Root, The Berry.

The winners will be announced during the BC Tourism Industry Conference next week in Victoria.

Big White and Ogopogo Tours are two of the three finalists for the Accessible Tourism Award, which recognizes a business or attraction that has made a significant contribution towards making B.C. an inclusive and welcoming destination for everyone, that has built capacity to support more accessible tourism products, services and experiences, and provides an outstanding travel experience for visitors with disabilities.

“Big White prides itself in being an all-inclusive space, from first-timers to pros and everything in between,” says vice-president Michael J. Ballingall. “It has been truly amazing to see the success of the Powderhounds program at our resort, to see the smiles of the participants out on the snow, and to see them enjoying Big White from top to bottom, as everybody should get the chance to do.”

Lafortune is up for the Customer Service Award, which recognizes frontline employees whose exceptional customer service contributed to outstanding travel experiences for visitors.

The Bear, The Fish, The Root, The Berry, a restaurant at Spirit Ridge Resort in Osoyoos, is a finalist for the Remarkable Experience Award, which recognizes a business or organization that has developed, delivered, promoted and sold a new or improved tourism product or experience that reflects the essence of B.C. and contributes to a remarkable visitor experience.