Services:

• Research on sustainable development for emerging destinations, and for travellers to remote places;
• Entrepreneur mentorship (marketing, and strategic planning); and
• Workshops on Women in leadership, Tourism product development, Effective communications, and community capacity building
  
  

Entrepreneur & Explorer

For 35 years I owned and operated a provincially licensed ecotourism and soft-adventure business, Tours of Exploration before selling it in 2023. The company’s mission of “enriching lives through nature & cultural travel” was achieved by linking conscientious travelers to like-minded suppliers on all seven continents. Responsible for finance, product development, service management, personal selling, digital marketing and communications, human resources, risk management, licensing & compliance, and day-to-day operations. Through this entrepreneurship, I gained extensive experience developing domestic and global networks and relationships from all industry sectors, with regional DMO’s and receptive operators, a diverse range of tourism service providers, and with local and national government representatives. Thousands of customers over the decades were able to enjoy experiential and transformational journeys.

"I guess this closes the chapter of our lives with Tours of Exploration.   It was a wild ride.  With your help we saw over half the world and we never had a single complaint.  We did things with your help that no one else we know has been able to do. We will miss your guidance but I am sure we will cross paths again. I think it was over 30 international trips that we did that you had a hand in.  Many of these trips would have been a trip a life time for most people.  We have always felt blessed that we had the holiday time, the money, our good health, not to mention a great exploration guide over the years. Again thank you for all of your help and for all the wonderful memories and we hope you have safe travels."
Otto and Diane Peter

Explorer's Research Ltd. From early career days to present, I have offered research services to tour operators and destinations for maximizing visitor experiences along natural and cultural themed routes. This included foundational work for the start-up of Sunshine Coast Tourism BC, cultural mapping to Papua New Guinea for Mountain Travel Sobek, and the assembling of bilingual/multi-media resources to Thailand, Peru, and Greece.   

Business and community projects (1995 – present)

International Trade and Economic Development. Worked with Kisserup International Trade Roots as a capacity building consultant for tourism and economic development projects in Atlantic Canada, Honduras, and Greenland. Worked with USAID on a program to develop niche tourism (birdwatching, cycling, and Indigenous community visits) in Guyana. Tourism Product Development consulting for the Governments and National Tourism Associations of Guatemala, China, India, Trinidad & Tobago, Peru, and Costa Rica.

Community Futures Development Corporation of the Sunshine Coast. Co-lead to develop a Destination Marketing Organization for the region - Sunshine Coast Tourism. Conducted a tourism business inventory, economic impact assessment, a comprehensive 5-year Business Plan, and a 2-year Marketing Strategy for the newly forming Sunshine Coast Destination Marketing Organization.

"Catherine is a thorough and dedicated practitioner who brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to all her endeavours.!
Simone Carlysle-Smith - CDMP
Carlysle & Co. Consulting

Gibsons Landing Business Association. During roles as President, Chair, and Executive Director helped steer the business, community, and political liaison of 50 plus local businesses in the Association. Co-created and implemented community events including the Gibsons Landing Salmon Festival, and Sea Cavalcade Street dance.

Sunshine Coast Economic Development Partnership. Collaborated on efforts to create coast-wide economic benefits. Part of branding committee.

Co-creator and organizer for the Malibu Arts Retreats. The development of an innovative social enterprise partnership with Coast Cultural Alliance for Sunshine Coast arts and cultural.

Advisory Committee member for Town of Gibsons, UBCM (Unions of BC Municipalities). Assessed RFP’s for dispersal of community funding.

Conservation Association volunteer - Ocean committee. Committed to life under the water UN sustainable development goals. Scuba diver. Contributor to the Great Canadian Shoreline and Underwater clean-ups.

Community-based development with World Wildlife Fund to develop capacity and marketing for ecolodges in three communities in Costa Rica (Monte Los Olivos, La Fortuna, Bijagua).

Experiential program designer on Nature-based discoveries for; Metro Toronto Zoo (British Columbia, Alberta, Quebec, Indonesia, Costa Rica); University of Mary Washington (Belize/Guatemala); Royal Ontario Museum (Ecuador & the Galapagos Islands); John G Shedd Aquarium, Chicago (Quebec); Sierra Club of California; the American Birding Association (British Columbia); and World Wildlife Fund (Costa Rica). Pre and post sustainability initiatives for the globally based Round-Square network of Secondary Schools (Coastal British Columbia).

Global Journeys for business and personal travel including attendance at special fairs, exhibits, and festivals.
South America: Ecuador/Galapagos Islands, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Argentina, Brazil, Guyana, Peru
Central America/North America: Canada, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama, Cuba, Trinidad/Tobago, US
South Pacific: Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Tahiti, Cook Islands
Asia: China, India, Bhutan, Myanmar, Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Nepal, Indonesia
Europe: Greenland, Iceland, Ireland, France, Italy, Greece, Switzerland
Middle East: Israel, Jordan