Monica Dickinson
Monica Dickinson has been named the successful candidate in the Board’s search for a new CEO. After a thorough process, she has been chosen to lead Tourism Kamloops through its next chapter.
For Immediate Release
March 7, 2022, Kamloops, British Columbia – The Tourism Kamloops Board of Directors has named the organization’s new CEO. The Board is very confident in this decision and looks forward to Monica leading Tourism Kamloops – especially during a chapter focused on tourism recovery and building our destination back up to the visitor numbers we experienced pre-pandemic.
“Tourism Kamloops is about to enter a period of growth. We know there is pent-up demand for travel and as travel restrictions continue to lessen, we know we need a strong leader to navigate this new era,” explains Board Chair, Percy Amaria. “We are excited to work alongside Monica in her new role as CEO and are confident in her ability to bring stakeholders, staff, and our tourism community together to thrive for the foreseeable future.”
The Board undertook a national search after the announcement of Beverley DeSantis’ retirement. The applications were highly competitive, and the evolution process was rigorous. The Board remained impressed with Monica at each decision point, and they are thrilled she accepted the offer.
“It is rare you find a candidate who has been invested in your mission since the beginning of their career,” says Amaria. “Monica’s passion for tourism is multifaceted. She understands the needs of Tourism Kamloops’ stakeholders as well as the expectations of our city’s visitors through her personal, educational, and professional endeavours. Monica personifies the values and qualities of Tourism Kamloops – not because of her work experience with the organization but because of her dedication and experience as an individual.”
“I am deeply committed to making a difference in Kamloops. I am fiercely passionate about the work I do, who I do it with, and how it gets done. My expertise and desire to deliver remarkable, innovative, and data-driven strategies fuels my drive for collaborative and continuous excellence,” says Dickinson.
Monica’s tourism experience runs deep within Kamloops and the Thompson Okanagan. Her education in tourism was based in Kamloops, initially focused on hotel and resort management leading to graduation from Thompson Rivers University’s Tourism Management program. During her studies, she was a lead tourism ambassador for Kamloops. She then went on to play key roles in media relations, sales, and community tourism development for the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association.
In 2007 she officially joined the Tourism Kamloops team undertaking foundational roles in the organization for the last 15 years. Notably in the last six years, during her time as Director, Industry Relations and Communications, she was responsible for incredible organizational success including:
- Leading all corporate communications and stakeholder relations tactics – including building rich relationships within the community, the region, and our province
- Working collaboratively with industry partners across all sectors to leverage marketing, sales, and destination development tactics to realize year-over-year tourism revenue growth of six percent annually before travel restrictions were mandated – with results exceeding provincial averages
- Driving destination golf revenues from $40K to nearly $1M in four years to become a leading BC golf destination through her leadership with the Golf Kamloops marketing initiative
- Developing and delivering community and resident advocacy initiatives to build local ambassadorship, demonstrate industry economic value, and rally municipal, regional and provincial government support for tourism
- Supporting three successful renewals of the Municipal Regional District Tax (MRDT)
- Leading the development and execution of YKAStrong collaborative tactics in partnership with 10 Kamloops-based business organizations (including Indigenous partners at Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc) and on behalf of the Mayor’s Task Force for Economic Recovery
- Building organization key performance indicators and ensuring Tourism Kamloops is data-driven
“I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity and am honoured to continue my work with the Tourism Kamloops team. As a passionate champion for this city and our industry, I am ready to put the work in on behalf of our very important tourism community,” says Dickinson.
Monica Dickinson will officially take on the leadership role March 15, 2022.
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About Tourism Kamloops
Tourism Kamloops leads strategic destination marketing, partners, and collaborates with stakeholders, and supports development to promote Kamloops as a distinct and desirable tourism destination. Their goal is to increase tourism revenues through the delivery of innovative, results-based marketing strategies.
Learn more about Tourism Kamloops: https://www.tourismkamloops.com/
Media Contact:
Christina Pilarski, Tourism Kamloops Board of Directors Liaison
CIPR Communications
P: 403-836-8249
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