Beth Potter Named New President and CEO of Travel Industry Association of Canada

Beth Potter Named New President and CEO of Travel Industry Association of Canada

February 19, 2021 ctn_admin

Following an intensive search, the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Beth Potter as the new President and CEO starting March 15, 2021.

Beth has a long and distinguished career in Canada’s tourism sector, including most recently serving as the President and CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario. She is a recognized leader with more than 30 years of experience in the not-for-profit and tourism industries and has worked with a variety of boards and committees, including her recent contributions to the World Travel & Tourism Council’s tourism recovery efforts.

“Prior to COVID-19, Canada’s tourism sector was a $105 billion industry, accounting for 2% of the country’s GDP and supporting over 1.9 million jobs. COVID-19 is the worst crisis the sector has ever faced. Beth joins TIAC at a critical time and will lead the visitor economy’s path to recovery,” said TIAC’s Board Chair, David McKenna.

“The Tourism Industry Association of Canada’s board and I are thrilled to have Beth join TIAC as our new President and CEO during this critical time in our sector’s history. Beth brings tremendous knowledge and sector-specific advocacy experience on the national and international front. Her experience will be vital to support the TIAC team and our industry through this pivotal time.

“With effective advocacy, Canada’s tourism sector will be well positioned to welcome back visitors from the rest of the country and all over the world, when it is safe to do so,” said McKenna.

“I’m excited to be taking on this new challenge as the President and CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada,” Potter said. “This is a critical time for the tourism industry. The decisions the government takes in the coming weeks and months will have a significant impact on our ability to bring back the jobs and economic growth that tourism contributed to the Canadian economy before the COVID-19 pandemic.

“These are undoubtedly challenging and difficult times, but the tourism industry is an innovative and resilient sector,” she said. “I will harness all of my thirty years of experience in advocacy, shaping government policies and experience in collaboration on the international stage to meet these challenges head on.

“In the past eleven months, TIAC has made significant progress in winning key economic support programs for the tourism industry. I am determined to build on these achievements and ensure that tourism receives the sector-specific support it requires to rebuild.

I’d like to thank TIAO’s past and present staff members and directors for their unrelenting support during the past eleven years TIAO, like the tourism industry in Ontario, has grown exponentially during my tenure. No more so than in the last eleven months, where TIAO has worked with government, stakeholders and members to provide vital support for our industry,” Potter said. “I am invigorated by the challenge lying ahead at TIAC and look forward to working with my new colleagues and board members to position tourism front and centre of Canada’s economic recovery.

“Beth Potter has been an instrumental part of TIAO’s growth and success during her tenure as President and CEO,” said Minto Schneider, chair of the board of directors of TIAO. “Beth has been an inspirational leader who, for over a decade, has ensured tourism has had a seat at the decision-making table in Ontario.

“There is no greater seal of approval of Beth’s work at TIAO than being chosen from a stellar field of applicants to become a national voice for the tourism industry. Whilst we are sad to see her leave TIAO, as a member of the tourism family, I am thrilled to know that she will be
bringing her experience, knowledge and considerable expertise to tourism’s national advocacy efforts.”