Rod Hanna Says Goodbye to Saint Lucia Tourism

You could say Rod Hanna is leaving his position as Canadian Director of Sales for Saint Lucia, a little inspired.

Hanna's contract with the destination has come to an end, after nearly four years, effective June 30.

"When the role first became available, I just said to myself, let me give it more than 100% and see what happens. It was a destination that was very easy to fall in love with and very inspiring."

It's clear he's done just that, having been the face of Saint Lucia both to the industry and in his social media posts. In 2019, Hanna was nominated for two TravelPulse Canada Readers' Choice Awards for "Best Social Media" and "Boots on the Ground" and is synonymous with the destination.

"I have a genuine love for Saint Lucia, and I loved to just share that excitement about the destination," Hanna tells TravelPulse Canada. "Obviously social media was a huge platform for me, it was challenging being only one person sales team, so it helped reach as many people as possible. It's a great platform if it's used correctly."

Hanna started his career with Saint Lucia in January 2018, as national trade sales manager, and then was promoted to director of sales in June of 2019. He's lead countless FAMs, led more than 30 webinars in Canada and Latin America (a market he identified and went after during the pandemic) and met colleagues who became friends and whom he learned a lot from. Including the basics which he said he learned from his dad.

"One of my biggest strengths I think is relationship building. I've talked before about how my dad brought me up - it's always about people. It's the daily things like going to Tim Horton's, you look at the person and say hello. Sometimes it's the simplest things that build the best relationships over the years."

Those relationships are ones Hanna hopes to continue to hold, particularly with travel agents, who he said he loved being face to face with and sharing experiences and enthusiasm. It's easy to see the excitement when he speaks of the destination, that enthusiasm which he says, "comes out of his pores."

"I do want to say thank you to our Canadian agents. Thank you for the support that they provided not only to the destination, but to me too. You don't always get a chance to thank everybody personally, but trust me, it is very much appreciated. It's what helps and keeps us going. It kept me going many times over the COVID months just to have that support.

Anybody who knows me, knows I wear my heart on my sleeve. I love talking with people, I love sitting down over a meal or a cup of coffee share stories of things that necessarily weren't even business related. It was life, it was, family, it was experiences."

Hanna asks for that support of Saint Lucia to continue after he leaves.

"There's still going to be carriers, there's still going to be tour operators going down there and that doesn't take away the fact that I'm not there anymore. It is a lovely destination. There's so much to do and see. Please continue to support the various unique and diverse properties and the destination as a whole."

Hanna's not certain where he'll land next, but he is hoping to stay in the industry, especially as more opportunities become available as we return to travel.

"I won't lie, I've looked at opportunities outside the industry, I've thought about it, but it's hard once you've got the travel bug. I love our industry. I want to make sure that I can continue to do what I do in a position where what I can bring to the table is valued and appreciated. So, stay tuned, and of course, people know where to find me."