Because Destination Osoyoos is doing a terrific job fulfilling its mandate to market and promote the Town of Osoyoos as a wonderful place to visit year-round, Jennifer Busmann doesn’t believe any radical changes are going to take place now that she is the new board chair.
During the annual general meeting for Destination Osoyoos, held Tuesday at the Walnut Beach Resort, Bussman was nominated and gladly accepted the position as board chair for the coming year, replacing past chair Don Brogan.
Bussman, who is the guest services manager for Nk’Mip Cellars in Osoyoos, said she was honoured to be nominated and didn’t hesitate to accept the nomination to lead the board of directors for Destination Osoyoos over the next 12 months.
“I’m a very passionate and enthusiastic person in general and I’m very passionate about this community and region, so I’m really looking forward to taking on this challenge,” said Bussman, who lives in Oliver but has been working in Osoyoos for the past five years. “I will be working with a great group of people and this is a great community to be promoting, so I don’t see any problems.”
The remainder of the positions on the board of directors will be announced at the next monthly meeting of Destination Osoyoos in April.
Busmann said there are dozens of businesses in this community that have a vested interest in the job being done by Destination Osoyoos staff and the board of directors and she’s looking forward to having regular contact with all the key players in the tourism industry in this community.
“I will be working with a lot of different stakeholders, but I think our mission will be the same … to promote Osoyoos as a wonderful place to do business and visit,” she said.
Brogan, who is the general manager of the Walnut Beach Resort, said he thoroughly enjoyed the past year as board chair and he’s excited about the future of the organization.
Since Destination Osoyoos changed its primary focus to marketing and visitor services over the past couple of years, the results have been outstanding and he’s confident Osoyoos will remain one of the most popular tourist destinations in the province moving forward, said Brogan.
“We’re on the leading edge,” said Brogan. “A lot of other destination marketing organizations look to us to lead the way when it comes to marketing and promotion … we continue to receive a lot of accolades,” he said.
The town’s tourist advisory council continues to enjoy a great working relationship with Destination Osoyoos staff and ensure the collective voices of all stakeholders interested in promoting and marketing the town are heard loud and clear, he said.
Jo Knight, the executive director of Destination Osoyoos, said 2011 was a very good year and she is hoping for more of the same in 2012.
A key focus for the rest of this year is to continue to offer marketing programs focused on promoting the town as a year-round destination and not just a good place to visit once the weather turns warm and hot, she said.
Knight agreed, saying “it takes a true team effort” involving the town’s tourist advisory committee, individual business owners and her staff to ensure all stakeholders continue to excel in promoting Osoyoos as one of the premier tourist destinations in British Columbia and Western Canada.
Some of the goals for 2012 include involving all community stakeholders in putting together an official events calendar for all seasons, promoting the town as a place with all the amenities to host conferences and weddings, expanding the branding motto of Osoyoos, Canada’s Warmest Welcome, across the country and formulating a policy allowing for continual feedback from all stakeholders to Destination Osoyoos staff, said Knight.
Plans are also underway to finalize a five-year business plan before the end of spring, she said.
It’s a pleasure working with the business community in this town and she looks forward to a productive 2012, said Knight.
“I couldn’t do it without you,” she said. “We share a common vision and commitment to success and excellence.”
Rod Harris, an expert on destination marketing and promotion, was the special guest of Destination Osoyoos at its AGM. Harris spoke to the audience following Busmann’s selection as new board chair.