President’s Message
Happy New Year to all….let me first start by saying how wonderful it was to see in-person so many of the CITAP family at our revised Winter Function on Dec 7. For those of you that were there, thank you for coming and showing your support. For those of you who travelled so far to be in Vancouver, a special shout out to you. We had members from right across the country attend. Close to 120 members were at the evening event along with several VIPs. I’d be remiss if I didn’t make special mention to the Winter Function Planning Committee for working so hard to ensure the event was a success. A huge “Thank you” to you all. Additionally, I’d like to express much appreciation to the sponsors of the evening who generously provided additional support to CITAP in such a critical time. Thank you to all the RTOs who opened their offices to those members who wanted to meet with them during the week. Opening your offices for sales calls to the suppliers was a critical component in seeing such good attendance at the reception. Finally, a special thank you to Via Rail for providing the venue to host the event and being so easy to work with on all levels.
I look towards 2022 with hope and optimism. There’s still a ways to go before a new normal is established, but being an optimist, I see the new year brighter and full of promise for our industry. To our RTO friends representing all areas of Asia Pacific, I see better days ahead in the 2nd quarter of ’22. These are my hopes and please know that the CITAP family supports all of you.
I hope that everyone has returned to their work re-charged and rested from the busy holiday season. Perhaps you’ve set new goals for 2022 or plan on taking some time off to experience somewhere close to home and enjoy all we have in this great country of ours.
I certainly look forward to seeing everyone this year, in-person and with fingers and toes crossed, I will see you all at the July golf tournament in BC and the Eastern tournament in Ontario.
Until then, I send you all sincere best wishes for a healthy, safe and successful year ahead.
John Webster
CITAP President
Interview with CITAP DMO Member : Monica Leeck, Destination BC
CITAP is pleased to introduce Monica Leeck, Manager, Market Development Asia/Mexico @ Destination BC. Monica shares with us some professional insights, as well as a few tidbits from her personal life…
- You’ve been in tourism your entire career. What attracted you to our industry? Was there a pivotal moment?
It was a working holiday/backpacking trip to New Zealand, Australia and Southeast Asia in the early 90s that resulted in me falling in love with the tourism industry. After returning from that trip, I moved from my hometown of Edmonton to Vancouver, and have been involved in the inbound tourism industry ever since. My tourism path has spanned 25+ years and has included Landsea Tours, Rare Indigo, TPT Canada, Tourism Vancouver, Tourism Whistler, Rocky Mountaineer and now Destination BC. And the best part of my career has been the people that I have met and the friends that I have made, around the world.
- What are some of the activities you enjoy doing when you’re not at work?
BC’s rainforest, mountains, oceans/beaches are my playground, and I enjoy activities such as walking, hiking, biking and outdoor yoga. In the summer, I can usually be found on one of the patios in The Shipyards in North Vancouver, enjoying one of our local craft beers.
- Who has most influenced you, in your life and career?
First and foremost, my father, Ernie, has been a huge influence on me, giving me perspective and confidence. If only he had trademarked the phrase “don’t sweat the small stuff”! Also, I am fortunate to have had many wonderful bosses and influential people in my life: Gaetan & Todd, Roz, Harvey, Maria, just to name a few.
- If you could work for 1 year anywhere in the world, where would it be?
I would love to live and immerse myself in Japan; hopefully one day!
- What would you say are some of BC’s best offers for travellers who look for cultural experiences?
BC’s diversity of cultures is one of my favourite things about living here. From the various neighbourhoods in Greater Vancouver, to the small towns and Indigenous communities in BC, there is always somewhere new to explore and something new to experience (and of course, eat!). This year, I had the opportunity to accompany a film crew to Indigenous-owned Klahoose Wilderness Resort, in Desolation Sound. I often reflect back on the feeling that I had during that visit; the feeling of gratitude to be in such a beautiful part of the world and welcomed by amazing people.
- If a friend asks you for a movie recommendation… what would you recommend? And… a book?
Like many people, I have spent “some time” on streaming channels this year, and have really enjoyed catching up on some of the award winning or trending shows from Asia. These include: Food Lore (Crave), Minari, Parasite, and of course, Squid Game! And of one my favourite books last year was The Great Alone, by Kristin Hannah (set in Alaska). Now I want to go to Alaska too!
Interview with CITAP Board Member : Gillian Beath, Journeys Across Canada
Please meet Gillian Beath, President at Journeys Across Canada
As one of CITAP’s most recent additions to the Board, Gillian Beath brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to our organization. Born in 1962, Gillian moved to Canada in 1992 after spending her university years in the UK, working in an RTO in London and then managing the incentive travel division of JAC UK for 2 years. Gillian is passionate about being outside in nature and the wilderness, and whenever she can, she enjoys spending time hiking (or skiing in winter) with her family and friends. We asked her a few questions to get to know her a little better.
- You’ve created Journeys Across Canada almost thirty years ago. How did this start? What are some of the most rewarding moments you’ve had the opportunity of experiencing with your company?
I had always dreamed of travelling around the world and in 1990 I finally had the funds to take off. My trip included a winter visit with friends in Vancouver and a chance to ski at Whistler. After further travels through Asia I came back to Vancouver to experience the summer coast mountain lifestyle in this amazing city. The spontaneity and outdoor lifestyle was a huge contrast to the very planned, big city life of London. I was back in London for only a few months before I decided to move to Vancouver and start my own RTO. BC House in London were a big help and in just a few months my visa arrived and my life in Canada could begin. It was daunting to emigrate alone and start up a new business but family and friends on both sides of the Atlantic as well as my then business partners, JAC UK, were a great support.
The rewards have not been about moments as much as the ongoing joys of the relationships forged over the years with people throughout the tourism industry. Another huge reward has been the opportunity to explore and discover so many beautiful areas of Canada – helicoptering into the Tombstone Mountains, watching grizzly bears… I need no reminding about how very lucky we are! It’s always the best feeling when you can triumph over adversity so I am hopeful the best is yet to come when the pandemic is ‘over’ and we can get back to the business we all love – that will get the biggest cheer of all!
- Your university degree was in Geography. What attracted you to the tourism sector in the first place?
It began with my intense curiosity about the world, it’s peoples and nature. This drove my own love of travel and from there grew a desire to be able to work in a field that would allow me to share that love of travel and to transform other people’s travel dreams into reality.
- What are some of your favorite places to visit or spend relaxing time in, in Canada?
Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast, Whistler for skiing but our own hideaway is an off-the-grid cabin north of Bridge Lake, B.C. where we swim, kayak, boat and get away from the world.
- If you had to choose one type of food and not be able to eat anything else for a whole year, what would it be? (Indian, Chinese, French, etc…)
That’s a tough one – any food you had to eat for a whole year would soon stop being a favourite. I learned that after eating nothing but local food in Indonesia for a month and ended up hallucinating about buttered carrots! I love many different cuisines but if I had to pick one for a year, it’d be French.
- What does your family enjoy doing together? What does a ‘perfect holiday’ look like?
It would be an active exploring trip to an exotic destination with interesting culture and language. I enjoy a couple of days at the beach to chill but then I have to go and explore the country staying 3-4 days in different places! Some recent trips were Colombia, Laos and Oman with activities like kayaking, hiking, via ferrata, canyoning/rappelling. I love to research, plan and book the whole trip.
2022 CITAP Membership- Renew Now!
It is that time of the year again! We hope everybody had a wonderful holiday break and a very happy start to the new year! With the start of a new year comes time to renew your CITAP Memberships.
To renew your membership, simply follow these steps:
- Log in to your account our our website: https://citap.ca/my-account/.
If you have forgotten your password, please use the “lost your password” link to retrieve access to your account.
If there has been a change in personnel in your organization, please create a new profile online with your credentials when completing the checkout process. - Once logged in, go to the “Become a Member” page, and add your respective membership to your cart to prompt the checkout process.
- Complete payment information.
RTO Market Reports
Market updates are written by Receptive Tour Operator members and in this issue we have updates from the following markets: Australia, Japan, China and Taiwan. Enjoy their anecdotal assessment of each of our primary Asia Pacific markets with a combination of overview, economy, and forecast. Read the full report on our Reports and Presentations page.
CITAP/Destination Canada Market Panel Discussions
We are pleased to announce that we will once again be partnering with Destination Canada in a Virtual Winter Event to take place via Zoom. This Zoom event will feature panel discussions with CITAP’s RTOs and Destination Canada. We will cover the following markets: Australia, South Korea, Japan, and China.
What: CITAP/Destination Canada Market Panel Discussions
Where: Zoom Cloud
When: Monday, January 17, 2022, 3-5pm PST
Destination Canada Speakers:
- Australia: Donna Campbell
- South Korea: Anna Lee
- Japan: Masayo Hando
- China: Wei Li
We hope that you will join us!
Please note your CITAP membership must be in good standing to attend all CITAP events. If you are unsure of your membership status, please email us at info@citap.ca
Members’ Corner
In this Members’ corner, you can share your latest news and updates with other members, or learn other members’ latest updates and news! In this issue, our members have shared their latest updates with us. Click below to see their updates.
