Executive Director, Tourism Development

Tourism is the heartbeat of communities from coast to coast to coast. At Destination Canada, our aspiration for the tourism industry is to generate wealth and wellbeing for all of Canada and enrich the lives of our guests. We seek diverse, ingenious thinkers teeming with intellectual curiosity and a deep desire to grow Canada’s tourism industry – strengthening the socio-cultural, environmental and economic vitality tourism brings to Canada.

Join us and share your love for Canada and your glowing heart with the world.• ********

Destination Canada is seeking an enterprising Executive Director, Tourism Development to spearhead initiatives that strengthen Canada's tourism supply, foster strategic partnerships across the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors, and promote tourism as a priority sector for federal government. Reporting to the Senior Vice President, Investment and Destination Development, this critical role is at the intersection of innovation, collaboration, and strategic influence, with a sharp focus on advancing economic tourism development nationwide.

A natural thought leader and system thinker, you’ll challenge conventional approaches, advance national conversations on tourism regeneration, integrate insights from research and emerging trends into impactful programs, and provide the tools, resources, and frameworks to empower stakeholders across Canada.

If you excel at delivering large-scale initiatives, thrive in complex environments, and are driven to create lasting impact for communities and the economy, this role is for you.

DUTIES:

• Strategic Leadership: Lead the creation and execution of long-term strategies and programs that drive sustainable and inclusive destination development. Develop initiatives that support the regeneration of Canada’s tourism infrastructure and align with the broader objectives of Destination Canada

.• Partnership Development: Cultivate and maintain high-impact partnerships across public and private industry stakeholders, and non-profit organizations to accelerate a robust and resilient tourism supply chain.

• Economic Development Initiatives: Drive initiatives that directly contribute to economic growth in the tourism sector, prioritizing projects and programs that deliver measurable returns for Canadian communities, businesses, and the national economy.

• Research and Insights Integration: Synthesize complex research and emerging trends into actionable insights. Use compelling storytelling and strategic communications to engage stakeholders and influence decision-making.

• Internal Relationship and Change Management: Represent destination development at various internal tables and contribute to them effectively, bringing back essential material that impact the work of the Destination Development team.

What you need

• Graduation from a recognized university with a Master’s degree or an acceptable combination of education, training and experience.

• 8+ years of progressive experience in relevant fields such as economic development, social innovation, public policy, infrastructure development, community building, etc.

• Experience developing strategy and policy to set and deliver objectives with a medium to long timeframe (10-15 years).

• Demonstrated success driving large-scale programs that support economic growth and sustainable community development.

• Strategic Visionary: Proven ability to lead transformative strategies and influence high-level decision-making within complex organizational structures.

• Partnership Expert: Ability to cultivate impactful relationships across diverse sectors.• Tourism knowledge: Ability to develop a deep understanding of the interplay between high-impact programs that catalyze tourism supply and investment attraction.

• Effective Communicator: Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with an ability to translate complex information into clear, compelling narratives for diverse audiences.

• Innovative Thinker: Adept at integrating research, trends, and emerging opportunities to shape new approaches and create lasting impact.

HOW TO APPLY

For more details about what we need and how to apply, please visit our Careers section at https://www.destinationcanada.com/en-ca/careers and click on “View Listings”. The deadline for this competition is January 26, 2025.