Three regional districts are ignoring borders to work together in helping to strengthen tourism from Washington State to central British Columbia.

Route 97 is a play on the highway that runs through the Interior Cascades, North Central Washington and the Thompson Okanagan. Elected officials from the three counties, their cities and the regional districts are working together to promote the region along this stretch of highway. With the emphasis on the Highway 97 corridor and all its tributaries, Route 97 highlights everything the regions have to offer.

The Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) is one of six regional tourism organization working to help promote Route 97 and has released its first video promoting the area. Utilizing social media, Route 97 uses videos and photos as a promotional tool to reach a wide audience.

The first video features Chef Jeremy Tucker at CedarCreek Winery and his process of using local farms as his source for ingredients. The video features everything Okanagan, from food to wine to farm-to-table and of course, the beautiful landscape and scenery.

“Wind your way through this breathtakingly diverse corridor from the foothills of the Wenatchee National Forest through Washington’s Chelan, Douglas and Okanogan Counties and across the border in the Thompson Okanagan region of BC and beyond. It’s easy to connect to and from Portland, Seattle, Spokane, Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary, from major interstates and highways,” promotes the website.

The newly launched resource tool will help travellers map their route, plan trips, find camping, and offer ideas from hiking trails, to places to eat, to history and culture.