Tourism Marketing Committee

Amy Nunn is the VP of Sales and Marketing for Prestige Hotels and Resorts where she leads the team of wholesale, conference, and corporate sales directors for the company’s 15 locations across BC which include the Northern BC properties of Prince Rupert, Smithers, and Prince George.

In her role, she directs the development of all marketing and branding materials including their online presence, as well as digital, print, social media, and traditional marketing efforts. Amy began her career after earning a Communication Studies Degree with a focus on Journalism Arts from the University of Calgary. After moving back to her home province of Saskatchewan, she held positions as an Account Manager for advertising agencies before taking on the role of Director of Leisure Marketing at Tourism Saskatoon. In 2016 Amy moved to the Okanagan Valley with her young family in search of the BC lifestyle. She feels fortunate to be a part of the thriving tourism industry in the province, still finds herself looking at the destination through the awe-inspired eyes of a tourist and is proud to contribute to the industry’s success in her role on DBC’s Tourism Marketing Committee. Communication Studies Degree with a focus on Journalism Arts from the University of Calgary. After moving back to her home province of Saskatchewan, she held positions as an Account Manager for advertising agencies before taking on the role of Director of Leisure Marketing at Tourism Saskatoon. In 2016 Amy moved to the Okanagan Valley with her young family in search of the BC lifestyle. She feels fortunate to be a part of the thriving tourism industry in the province, still finds herself looking at the destination through the awe-inspired eyes of a tourist and is proud to contribute to the industry’s success in her role on DBC’s Tourism Marketing Committee.

Amy has a strong passion for rural tourism and economic development. Amy holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with majors in Project Management and Operations Management.

Entering tourism as the Marketing Manager for Gold Country Communities Society, Amy wrote and successfully implemented the Gold Country GeoTourism program, a first in British Columbia, encompassing parts of the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast, Vancouver, Coast & Mountains and Thompson Okanagan. Since joining the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Tourism Association, Amy has become very familiar with all aspects of destination management, leading award-winning programs such as the Gold Rush Trail and Cariboo Reputation Recovery collaboratives. Amy believes rural British Columbia holds untapped potential and unlimited opportunities for excellence.

As the Marketing Manager for Bella Coola Heli Sports & Tweedsmuir Park Lodge, Ben oversees all aspects of both brands’ creative and art direction, advertising, digital marketing channel management, public relations, travel media, and travel trade.

He brings more than a decade of experience in high-end hospitality and adventure tourism and possesses a diverse skill set and perspective developed through managerial positions in sales, marketing, operations, finance, and human resources. His toolkit includes an in-depth understanding of website development, data analytics, digital marketing, social media, SEO, online reputation management, public relations, media relations, photography, cinematography, and traditional marketing. Growing up in rural British Columbia, Ben has always been fascinated by natural landscapes and the transformative power of spending time in nature. He has made it his lifelong goal to share his passion for British Columbia and its wild spaces with guests from around the world. Ben began his career in tourism while completing his Bachelor of Commerce degree at the University of Victoria and went on to assume positions as General Manager and Business Operator for Prince of Whales Whale & Marine Wildlife Adventures as well as the Executive Director for Attractions Victoria before transitioning into his current role with Bella Coola Heli Sports & Tweedsmuir Park Lodge.

Brian Cant is Vice President, Business Impact & Engagement for 4VI, a social enterprise created to ensure that travel is a force for good for Vancouver Island – forever.

Formerly, Brian worked as Director, Communications & Engagement for the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority, a community-based not-for-profit that is committed to sustainable stewardship of Victoria’s working harbour. Brian has worked in communications for more than 15 years developing and executing strategies to meet marketing and communications goals, conducting media research and outreach, and generally doing all that he can to ensure partners and stakeholders have what they need to understand organizational decisions and plans. Inspired by his summer job guiding visitors through the underground mine at the Rossland Museum in the Kootenays, his career has focused on the tourism industry; His career has also included stints working with both Destination Greater Victoria, Destination British Columbia, and tartanbond (formerly Tartan Group). He is a proud graduate of the Gustavson School of Business MBA program and holds a BA in History and Geography and a Diploma in Public Relations from the University of Victoria. Brian Cant is Past President of the UVic Alumni Association Board of Directors. Growing up in Rossland, BC, he was first put on skis by his dad at the age of 18 months and barely looked back or slowed down. He managed to have his own daughter on skis around the same time, to somewhat mixed results.

Chris is the owner-operator of the boutique Cloudside Hotel in Nelson. He helped found the Nelson-Kootenay Lake DMO and is past chair, currently back for his second term as a director.

Before immigrating from the UK in 2006 his career was in marketing and brand management for large corporates. Chris grew up in a small village in Cheshire, attended the University of Birmingham and then Kingston Business School, moved to the tumult of London for work and has now come full circle to the small, but definitely not sleepy, community of Nelson in the Kootenay Rockies.

Chris Shauf is a senior brand, marketing, and communication leader with extensive experience in tourism, arts and culture, economic development, and major national and international events including the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Torch Relays.

Chris has experience working in the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors in a variety of industries, with a uniting thread of building strong and revered brands for the projects, organizations, and communities he’s worked for. Currently, Chris works with Tourism Kelowna leading the marketing and communication team for one of BC’s and Canada’s top destinations. His work focusses on generating strong economic impact for the local business community and enhancing the quality of life for residents. Standout career experiences include establishing the foundational brand for Canada’s newest collecting modern art gallery, brand renewal strategies for some of Western Canada’s largest brands, overhauling online services and digital citizen engagement programs, and orchestrating a year-long, provincewide celebration that resulted in incredible participation and brand lift. Chris’ career has taken him across Canada from coast to coast to coast, and even to Ancient Olympia. As a senior leader on the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Torch Relays team, Chris was fortunate to witness the lighting of the Olympic Flame in the Temple of Hera in person, and then travel with the Olympic Flame across Canada. Chris visited over 1,000 communities and places of interest during the 106-day relay, including an overnight stop at a Canadian Forces Station in Alert, Nunavut – the northernmost permanently inhabited place in the world. Chris’ volunteer work includes past chair of the Saskatoon Library Board of Trustees; director on the University of Regina Board of Governors, Senate and Executive of Council; trustee on the Royal Saskatchewan Museum Board, and past president and board member of the International Association of Business Communicators and Canadian Public Relations Society chapters. He has a business degree from the University of Regina and is accredited with both the International Association of Business Communicators and the Canadian Public Relations Society. Personal interests include nature and the outdoors; sports like volleyball and tennis; and arts, music, and cultural experiences. In fact, Chris has lugged a tuba across eight European countries (and at every stop wondered why he didn’t take up the piccolo). He still struggles to pack light when travelling.

As the Chief Executive Officer of the Northern BC Tourism Association, Clint works with the board and leads the team at Northern BC Tourism to achieve the overall vision and mission for the organization.

He is a well-respected member of the tourism industry and is acknowledged industry wide as a leader and innovator in new marketing technologies. With over 15 years’ experience in the tourism industry, Clint has been devoted to building the tourism industry in northern BC and has successfully contributed by leading and managing major tourism marketing and development programs at the provincial, regional, and community level. A longtime resident of northern BC, Clint continues to advocate for the region and is an active member of the community in Prince George. Appointed to the Ministers Tourism Engagement Council and a standing member of the Provincial Tourism Marketing Committee, he continues to spend time volunteering and sitting on industry related committees. As an emerging business leader in northern BC, Clint earned the acknowledgement as one of Prince George’s Top 40 Under 40. Clint holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Marketing) from the University of Northern British Columbia and has also held positions in the Brewing Industry and Economic Development.

Dixit Talwar leads the digital marketing and analytics practice at Northland Properties with a diverse catalog of 60+ hotels across Canada, US, England, Scotland & Ireland, plus multiple restaurant brands.

As a revenue marketing practitioner with over 10 years of hands-on experience in data-driven marketing strategies and tactics, Dixit leverages hotel revenue management, electronic distribution, and performance marketing expertise aimed at driving direct-digital revenues. He is a frequent collaborator with multiple industry partners providing insights into their product portfolio and calibrating them for enterprise clients within the travel & hospitality vertical.

As the VP of Travel Trade & Promotion at Dufry North America, Elaine Xu based at Vancouver international Airport, British Columbia, Canada.

Building on her past experience as Director, Travel Trade Development at WDFG in charge of Tourism industry development, she develops and maintains business relationships for strategic partnerships for duty free retail operations in 12 airports in Canada & US. With a focus on China and the rest of Asia, Elaine has been a driving force behind the exponential growth in Vancouver Airport Duty Free retail. Elaine is a subject matter expertise. With an MBA and a Bachelor of Commerce in Industrial Business Management from Beijing, China, she has produced and implemented business strategies for expanding and enhancing opportunities between Canada and China, Japan, and South Korea. Prior to Dufry, Elaine developed a comprehensive understanding of Asian markets as Western Canada Sales and Promotions Manager for the Nuance Group, one of the world’s leading travel retailers. Elaine speaks Mandarin and Cantonese.

Ellen Walker-Matthews has more than 40 years of experience in the hospitality, travel, and tourism industry, including the last 12 with TOTA in various capacities, including Vice President of Stewardship, Senior Vice President and, for the past year, Chief Executive Officer.

She has spearheaded and played a significant role in key initiatives including Biosphere Certification, GreenStep Certification, and Green Destination Top 100; overseeing the Tourism Resiliency Program; development and implementation of regional tourism strategies; and sales, marketing, and business plans.

Ian Jenkins is responsible for all aspects of sales, marketing and property management at SilverStar Mountain Resort as the Director of Sales, Marketing and Accommodation and as both winter and summer business grows into the future.

Ian is involved in many aspects of the travel industry in the Okanagan and advises with the Tourism commission for City of Vernon as well as a board member of the newly formed Silver star resort association. Ian has been involved in the resort business for the last 27 years, with previous roles at Whistler Blackcomb as the GM of sales and Vail Resorts in Colorado as the Director of International Sales and marketing. Ian has a deep passion for the outdoor travel industry and how providing outstanding experiences along with great marketing, can keep guests coming back year over year.

Jayson’s career has been focussed in the outdoor and tourism industries beginning as the Marketing Manager for Whistler Mountain after graduating from SFU with a BBA and from Humber College with a Degree in Ski Area Management.

From there he spent time in Europe in Merchant Banking before returning home to Whistler to enter the outdoor tourism industry proper, opening a retail outdoor store and founding a Mtn Guiding business. He joined Arc’teryx Equipment as VP Sales and Marketing and as a partner where the company grew to a leading worldwide outdoor clothing and equipment brand. The company was sold in 2001 and he returned to his retail businesses back in Whistler and Squamish in time for the Olympics. He then was elected to Council in Whistler serving a term and was the Municipality representative on the Whistler Tourism Board as well as many other of the Resort’s committees. He then took on a position as a General Partner and General Manager for the Sea to Sky Gondola. The small team designed and implemented the successful project which was $25M in investment and opened in spring 2015. He is now developing another major gondola sightseeing project in the Fraser Valley.

Jessica is a gregarious communications and marketing professional with 15+ years in the tourism industry. She grew up working in high-end adventure travel, holding various hospitality roles that now enable her to look at the industry holistically.

This hands-on knowledge is complemented by studies in Sustainable Business Strategy, Global Business, and Leadership at Harvard's Business School. Jessica is passionate about promoting sustainable, meaningful, and responsible travel while honoring, nurturing, and protecting the diverse communities and intricate environments of British Columbia. She helped grow the Wilderness Tourism Association of British Columbia's marketing program from its infancy, which now drives traction and business to its membership of 50+ tourism businesses and stakeholders, encourages the protection of British Columbia's wild spaces, and positions wilderness tourism as a sustainable economic enterprise. Jessica is an integral member of Siwash Lake Wilderness Resort's strategic planning team — a boutique and luxury wilderness resort located in interior British Columbia — and she continually looks to support companies striving to make a positive environmental and social impact. She proudly serves on Destination British Columbia's Tourism Marketing Committee with hopes of helping shape a thriving, dynamic, and sustainable tourism sector for British Columbia.

Jodi Westbury joined Destination Greater Victoria as Vice President, Marketing Communications in January, 2022. Jodi has worked in several tourism sectors through her career, including hotels, attractions, previous DMO experience at Tourism Whistler, and the airline sector.

Jodi's career history includes hotels (Director, Marketing Communications for Coast Hotels in a corporate marketing/communications role overseeing programs for 35+ properties), attractions (Director, Marketing Communications for Grouse Mountain Resort for almost nine years), previous DMO experience at Tourism Whistler, and the airline sector (Canadian Airlines). Jodi’s wide and deep experience provides her with unique insight and perspective, including that of working in an entrepreneurial venture. Jodi holds an MBA from Sauder School of Business at UBC, and a BA in Communications and Tourism from the University of Calgary. Jodi currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Wildlife Rescue Association of BC.

Kathy Cooper has been a key member of the Kootenay Rockies team for 30 plus years, assisting the region to become a leader in the development and growth of British Columbia as a premier tourism destination.

She has excelled in many diverse roles with the organization including stakeholder engagement, project management, marketing, destination development and stewardship, travel trade, media relations, board relations, corporate governance, and most recently, strategic planning and implementation of a new direction for Kootenay Rockies Tourism that aligns with Destination BC’s corporate strategy. Kathy is a passionate tourism supporter and advocate for rural regional sustainable growth and development within the sector.

Kevin Manuel oversees all aspects of marketing at Revelstoke Mountain Resort. As a year-round destination, Kevin works closely with local and regional DMOs to showcase Revelstoke’s unique experiences.

As a member of the Kootenay Rockies Tourism Board of Directors, Kevin is an advocate for tourism in the Kootenay Rockies region and British Columbia. Kevin brings over ten years of experience in a senior marketing role with a diverse skillset across digital marketing, advertising, customer relationship marketing, and communications. Kevin is passionate about the adventure tourism industry and committed to delivering memorable experiences for visitors, residents, and employees.

Kirsten Homeniuk is responsible for brand strategy and overall development of global marketing plans for the world-class Whistler resort.

She is known for driving change and innovative thinking during a time of explosive growth in digital, social, data and content marketing. Previous roles in database marketing and customer relationship management at Intrawest Corporation, Whistler Blackcomb, and Aritzia set the foundation for being a truly data-driven, customer-centric marketer. She is fascinated by the changing landscape of both marketing technology and travel/tourism, and is passionate about maximizing the unique opportunities they present.  

As Business Support Coordinator for Indingenous Tourism Association Canada, MIchelle helps to assess and support the needs of indigenous tourism businesses across Canada. Prior to this role, Michelle spent 9 years at Spirit Bear Lodge, an Indigenous-led tourism operation located in the Great Bear Rainforest.

Her time with this community based business saw her involved in strategic development planning, marketing content creation, project management and more. Her journey into travel and tourism began when she left home to work in the Alberta mountain community of Banff where she discovered the buzz of a resort town and the excitement of connecting with people from around the world. Her passion for travel and adventure steered her to a diploma in tourism management in 2008 at Capilano University and has taken her to places such as New York, Mexico, Bermuda, England, and extensively throughout Canada (Coast to Coast!) Michelle is dedicated to collaborating with other tourism minded professionals to share unique perspectives and promote long term sustainability for tourism in British Columbia.

Paula Amos is of Hesquiaht and Squamish Nation descent, born and raised in the Nuu-chah-nulth territory on the west coast of Vancouver Island. She has worked in leadership roles in the tourism industry for 20+ years. 

Paula has worked for the Indigenous Tourism Association of BC for the past 19 years and has been a part of the industry growth and success by driving results in experience development, partnerships and implementing strategies for marketing for businesses and organizations.  The overall Indigenous tourism industry has grown by over 80% since the launch of the Aboriginal Tourism Blueprint Strategy in 2007. Paula sat on the steering committee for the groundbreaking Blueprint Strategy for Indigenous tourism in British Columbia. The Blueprint was the catalyst for developing Indigenous tourism in BC in 2006. She was also involved with the 2010 Aboriginal Tourism Working Group for the 2010 Winter Olympics, in partnership with the 2010 Bid Corporation. Paula views the development of the Indigenous cultural tourism industry as not only economic development and job potential but is also a driver for cultural pride, reconciliation and a new generation of entrepreneurs. Paula Amos is a leader for Indigenous tourism community development and works in the important areas of collaboration and partnerships.  She is passionate about creating opportunities and mentorship for youth and reconciliation for Indigenous peoples in BC and Canada.

With over 30 years of experience in the retail, hospitality and tourism sectors, Royce has focused the last 15 years of his career in senior leadership roles at the national, provincial, and now the civic level of destination management organizations.

After spending 10 years at Travel Alberta, Royce relocated back to his hometown Vancouver to take on the role of President, CEO, and team leader of the newly transformed Destination Vancouver in July of 2020. While at Travel Alberta Royce oversaw the development and launch of the award winning (remember to breathe) destination brand that resulted in increased awareness and visitation for Alberta. While at the Canadian Tourism Commission, Royce was part of the team that brought the Canada brand to life for millions of viewers and attendees of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics helping to put Vancouver and Canada on the global tourism bucket list. Before that Royce developed extensive experience working in corporate, franchise and start-up business in operations, sales, and marketing in various leadership roles. Royce volunteers on the Destinations International Global Leadership and Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Committee’s, Destination British Columbia’s Tourism Marketing Committee, Expedia Media Select Advisory Board, Business Improvement Association Downtown Vancouver Board Member, and SAIT Dean’s Hospitality and Tourism Council.