15 December
Local Date: Dec 14 2024 |
Local Time: 8:00 pm - 9:30 pm
Mike Overend is the Director of Destination Development for the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) and has worked with the organization for the past 5 years in the area of Destination Management. In his role Mike is directly responsible for overseeing initiatives specific to the advancement of economic development projects and destination development funding related to both community DMO’s and industry stakeholders in the TOTA region. |
Ellen Walker-Matthews has over 40 years experience in the hospitality, travel and tourism industry, with a career that included senior and regional positions with CP (Fairmont) Hotels, Delta Hotels and Tepic Management / Rim Hospitality. Since 2009 Ellen has worked with the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association in many areas of the organization including lead roles in Consumer Marketing, Travel Trade/Travel Media, Industry/Destination Development and most recently as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) effective July 2021 |
Sònia Figueras, tourismologist and teacher by training, has more than 25 years of experience in education and 20 in tourism. Since 2004, she has worked at the UN Tourism Academy for the UN Tourism Member States, the education and training centers of the UN Tourism TedQual network and the DMOs of the UN Tourism QUEST network. Currently, as Program Manager, she leads and develops new projects of this organization, including the UN Tourism QUEST programmed for Tourism Destination Management Organizations. |
Jafar Jafari is Founding Editor, Annals of Tourism Research; Chief Editor, Tourism Social Science Series; Co-Editor, Bridging Tourism Theory and Practice; Co-Editor, Encyclopedia of Tourism; Co-Founder, TRINET; Founding President, International Academy for the Study of Tourism; Co-Founding Editor, Information Technology & Tourism; and Co-Founding President Tourism Intelligence Forum. |
Dr. Kazem Vafadari is Director of International Center for Asia Pacific Tourism (iCAPt); and Academic Director of the Kunisaki City Research Center for world agriculture heritage in Oita, Japan. He is a Professor and Vice Dean for International Affairs, College of Sustainability and Tourism at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU). He worked with United Nations University and Kanazawa University in Japan before joining APU in 2011. He is an expert on sustainable tourism, natural resource management and tourism applications of agriculture heritage landscapes. His research background also includes community building, rural revitalization and destination branding. |
Mike Overend Speaker | |
Ellen Walker-Matthews Speaker | |
Sonia Figueras Moderator | |
Jafar Jafari WelcomeRemarks | |
Kazem Vafadari Conclusion | |