Sport Tourism Conference Edmonton

My great passion is Responsible Tourism. This practice goes beyond environmental and eco-friendly issues by creating a tourism industry that supports communities. This is achieved through social and financial benefits, job training and education, and the identification of ethical and accessibility issues. For example, taking a tour bus through a village provides the experience of viewing the way people live; but getting off the bus, talking to locals and sharing cultures allows for a Responsible Tourism experience.

My interest in Responsible Tourism sparked at a young age with an opportunity to travel abroad and stay with a local family. I lived the way they lived and did the same day-to-day things. I knew then that this was how I wanted to travel.

Not surprisingly, my early passion for travel, languages and cultures led to a career in tourism. Working at Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation is definitely my dream job; I am a Tourism Product Development Coordinator and I work with rural groups to develop new tourism opportunities and enhance existing ones.

I am also a Director with The International Centre for Responsible Tourism Canada. Our work is to “make better places for people to live in and better places for people to visit.” I feel so strongly about this, and so proud of what is happening in Edmonton, that I asked to bring the Responsible Tourism in Destinations 5th International Conference to Edmonton this year. After being hosted by places like South Africa, India and Belize, I felt it was time to put Edmonton on the map as a Responsible Tourism Destination. As a Co-Chair of the conference, I really wanted Edmonton to toot its own horn and am proud to report that 80% of the attendees had never been to our city before.

We have great Responsible Tourism initiatives in Edmonton. My two favorites are Culinary Tourism and the FRESH Program. There are so many Farmers Markets and restaurants sourcing local ingredients here and it really shows what Alberta has to offer agriculturally. The FRESH Program is great for conferences and large meetings that are generally very consumptive.

I am really excited about what the future holds for Edmonton and Alberta as Responsible Tourism Destinations. I am excited about what we are doing and what we are building on as we invite visitors to better understand our communities and our culture; I feel the future is wide open here.