Tourism HR Canada congratulates Kaleigh Potts, Client Services Team Lead at Adventure Canada, who was this year’s recipient of the Tourism HR Canada Employee of the Year Award.
Kaleigh accepted the award at the Canadian Tourism Awards gala, part of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada’s annual Tourism Congress.
Kaleigh has been a valued member of Adventure Canada, a Canadian tour operator that offers unique small-ship expeditions, since 2016. A high impact team player, she exhibits an intelligent, thoughtful, and professional approach to her work. Kaleigh played a key role in supporting clients during the pandemic, never failing to go above and beyond what was asked of her.
“It’s such an honour and a surprise to receive Tourism HR Canada’s Employee of the Year award among such a dedicated and vibrant industry,” stated Kaleigh. “To receive it for doing something that I love to do is an indescribable privilege.”
The Employee of the Year Award is given to a frontline employee whose professionalism, dedication, attitude, and quality of service best exemplify excellence in the tourism industry.
Philip Mondor, president and CEO of Tourism HR Canada, presented the award, and stated, “It’s a delight to be able to recognize such an inspiring tourism professional. Kaleigh shows a passion for tourism, a full understanding of its ability to shape change, and a commitment to ensuring travellers can truly experience and understand the destinations they are visiting. Her dedication to sustainability, teamwork, and guest services are of key importance to our sector, and we are excited to see where her career takes her.”
Kaleigh shares, “As with many of us in this line of work, I’ve loved to travel for as long as I can remember. Childhood family trips and sports tournaments evolved into camping, backpacking, and living abroad as I grew older. It was only when I started working for Adventure Canada that I realized that tourism was the answer to the semi-formed idea in the back of my mind – travel as a force for good.”
“Through Adventure Canada, I’m grateful that I get to marry these two interests. By bringing travellers to some of the most beautiful and remote destinations in the world, we are working to preserve the cultural and environmental integrity of those same places. The past few years put a temporary pause in all of our travels, but I’m looking forward to continuing to collaborate with our team to create educational and meaningful experiences for our guests, both on and off the ship.”
Tourism HR Canada would also like to acknowledge the two other finalists for the Employee of the Year Award, who each show an incredible commitment to providing memorable visitor experiences and making Canada a top destination for travellers worldwide.
- Spurgeon Robbins, Summerside Visitor Information Centre – Summerside, PEI
- Susan Tomihiro, Fresh Tracks Canada – Vancouver, BC