Tourism HR Canada is delighted to announce that Darlene Grant Fiander has been selected by the Board of Directors as its new Chair. Her tenure becomes effective at the upcoming June 20 Board meeting, to be held in Ottawa.

The news last week of Anthony Bourdain’s death by suicide was a shock and saddened millions of fans who shared Bourdain’s wonderment at the world around him and at our shared humanity, aspirations and dreams, which he explored through travel and cuisine. The news was also a reminder that despite outward appearances and behaviours, many people are dealing with inner demons that can be exacerbated by numerous factors, including workplace stress.

June 21 is National Indigenous Peoples Day across Canada—a day to showcase and celebrate the cultural diversity, accomplishments, and contributions of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples. Indigenous tourism in Canada is thriving, as entrepreneurs and established businesses are reaching new markets and seeing increased demand from established ones.

In May 2018, the unemployment rate1 in the tourism sector was at 4.5%, which is 1.0 percentage points higher than the rate reported in April 2017, and lower than the previous month (April 2018) when the unemployment rate stood at 5.1%.