Julie King & Associates has been appointed as the new General Sales Agent for Destination Canada in Australia, after a competitive bid process aiming to support the organisation “on its mission to win the competitive battle for visitors and support the recovery of Canada’s tourism industry”.
The move is the end of an era for former GSA DC & Associates, led by Canadian representation veteran Donna Campbell who announced her retirement last week. Key members of the local Destination Canada team including Nathan McLoughlin and Pip Macken will join the Julie King and Associates team, with their years of Canada experience providing continuity to the industry.
Julie King & Associates was established by CEO Julie King in 2010, and has represented a range of key clients and destinations over the years – including holding the Australian and NZ GSA for Dubai between February 2011 and May 2018, when the Dubai Department of Commerce and Marketing decided to instead manage its local presence remotely.
Destination Canada VP International, Maureen Riley, noted that Australia is one of the country’s key long-haul markets. The Canadian tourism offering sees Aussies pursuing the destination “due to its perception as a safe destination with irresistible wide-open spaces, exciting cities and abundant wildlife,” she said, citing recent research indicating over 2.8 million Australian long-haul leisure travellers intend to visit Canada in the next two years.
“We are seeing strong demand from Australians for Canada’s iconic, memorable, and authentic experiences… while momentum is building, the global tourism market is ferociously competitive and we must be ready to capture the enormous opportunity ahead,” she said, adding: “We’re looking forward to working with Julie and her team who bring deep market knowledge and expertise that will bolster our efforts in Australia and elevate Canada as the go-to destination amongst our target travellers.”
Julie King welcomed the appointment of her company as GSA, saying “Canada undoubtedly has what the world needs in this new era and we’re honoured to be part of the team to market this wonderful destination in Australia”.
