Canadian Association of Tour Operators executive members Brett Walker, Stéphanie Bishop, Richard Edwards, Nicole Bursey and Joanne Dhue have announced the launch of a new website for the advocacy association.
"We now have a wonderful depiction of who we are and what we stand for," says CATO Chair Brett. "CATO's raison d'être is to work together to make our industry stronger, more resilient, more responsible and rise to new heights for the benefit of all members and our many stakeholders."
As well as a public site, there is a private members site with chat rooms and open forums for existing and emerging issues and ongoing discussions. Members can also set up private chats with other members. CATO says another important feature is the on-demand polling of members with real-time results. The site will also house an extensive knowledge library of both public and proprietary information.
"Being nimble to issues and events is paramount to CATO's organizational effectiveness," Walker says. "This website features communication tools that are widely accessible, social platforms that are easy to use and will enable discussion, debate and polling on issues and quickly facilitate cohesion."
In 2021 CATO released a new fee structure with rates reduced by as much as 75%. Membership starts at $800 year per company for up to three representatives with access to the website as well as being able to attend any online or in-person meetings. Every company member also has its brands represented on the rotating banner on the public CATO site.
In other news from CATO, the association has partnered with Tourism Cares in its commitment to sustainability. To kick off this partnership, CATO executives and some members will be attending the Tourism Cares Meaningful Travel Summit in Victoria, BC on September 27-29. Participants include Brett Walker, Stéphanie Bishop and Emma Cottis representing Collette, Globus Family of Brands and GOWAY respectively.
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