Instructors
Dr. Laurel Reid: Instructor
Building Place and Profitable Partnerships
Dr. Laurel Reid is President of Tourism Synergy Ltd. and an Adjunct Professor at the University of New Brunswick. With a focus on Atlantic Canada, Tourism Synergy was formed in 2001 and offers expertise in sustainable destination planning and development, tourism marketing strategy and tourism education. Laurel has spent several years working with businesses, communities, associations and destinations involved in strategy development, advising, education and training and market research. For several years, Laurel worked with the Bouctouche: Lessons Learned project.
She is a sought after speaker and has held faculty positions at several universities in Canada, the USA and abroad. Laurel holds a PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) in Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management (Clemson University, South Carolina, USA), a MCS (Master of Communication Studies) (University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada) and a BSc (Bachelor of Science) (Syracuse University, New York State, USA). Her work appears in several travel, tourism and marketing related books, journals and conference proceedings.
Heather MacDonald – Instructor
Culinary Tourism and The Arts
Heather MacDonald has been a passionate advocate of cultural tourism since she began researching, designing and offering cultural tourism programs in Italy and France in the early 1990s. During the past two decades, she has worked with local communities, cooking schools, educational institutions and a vast range of dedicated subject experts and experience providers to develop and deliver authentic, experiential culinary tourism and arts programs.
In the mid-1990s, Heather launched Culture Quest International, a consulting firm dedicated to research, innovation and education for cultural tourism and enrichment travel. Her work has been published in several travel and tourism reports, articles and conference proceedings. Heather’s clients have included the Canadian Tourism Commission, Parks Canada, Department of Canadian Heritage, Canadian Museum of Civilization, Museum Collections and a variety of international enrichment travel organizations. She has worked for Canadian Geographic and Routes to Learning Canada as Vice President, National Program Development. Heather now works for Parks Canada as the Visitor Experience Manager for the Rideau Canal National Historic Site of Canada and UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Brian White: Instructor
Building Place
Dr. Brian P. White is Professor and Director for the School of Tourism and Hotel Management at Royal Roads University. He holds a PhD in Human Geography from Simon Fraser University. After completing his MA at SFU, he founded the Outdoor Recreation Management Department at Capilano College in 1972 and the Tourism Management Department in 1986. In November 2004 he was honored as the Canadian tourism industry’s Educator of the Year at the annual Pinnacle Awards in Toronto, hosted by Hotelier magazine. In February 2009, he received the William Van Horne Visionary Award for lifetime achievement at the BC Tourism Industry Conference.
For 16 years he taught Cultural Tourism Planning at the University of Victoria. An avid outdoorsman, photographer, horticulturist, and naturalist, he has led ocean kayaking, hiking, and mountain exploration expeditions for over 40 years. For the past five years, he was engaged in plant explorations and national park planning in northern Vietnam, and recently has been researching community tourism development and culinary tourism on Saltspring Island.
Beth Kelly Hatt: Instructor
Profitable Partnerships
Beth Kelly Hatt is President of Aquila Tours, a leading tour operator in Atlantic Canada. Over the past 27 years, Beth has led this Saint John, New Brunswick based business to become one of Atlantic Canada’s Top 50 Fastest Growing Companies (Progress Magazine), and a key factor in their incredible growth in all of their markets has been strategic tourism partnerships. Beth has been the visionary behind such successful partnerships as the Atlantic Coast Alliance, CanadaQuest, Cruise East, and the Bay of Fundy Cruise Partnership, all of which directly contributed to significant growth of their respective markets. Her company has also been instrumental in assisting tourism suppliers in forming partnerships of their own, and she is sought after to share her strategies for success, both as a speaker and an innovator.
An active visionary not just for her business, Beth is a leader in both the tourism industry and the local business community. She has been recognized with numerous awards and accolades, including being named one of the 25 People to Watch in Atlantic Canada by Progress Magazine in 2006, and one of the Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada by the Woman’s Executive Network and the Richard Ivey School of Business.
PDF Current Weather
February 23, 2012
Flurries1°Creal feel: -11°Ccurrent pressure: 100 mbhumidity: 91%wind speed: 5 m/s SSEwind gusts: 6 m/ssunrise: 7:26sunset: 18:06Forecast February 23, 2012day
Mostly cloudy3°Cwind speed: 10 m/s WSWwind gusts: 21 m/s
