Strong, pan-Canadian leadership will guide growth of tourism workforce
OTTAWA, ON—February 10, 2023) Tourism HR Canada today announced the appointment of two new directors to its board. Bringing extensive experience in both the tourism sector and governance are France Dionne, Executive Director of the Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec (ITHQ), and Xavier Gret, CEO of the Conseil québécois des ressources humaines en tourisme (CQRHT).
The new directors began their terms immediately upon being elected at Tourism HR Canada’s recent Annual General Meeting. They play an integral role in helping Canada’s tourism sector reach its full potential with a vibrant, skilled workforce. As the industry hardest hit by the impact of the pandemic, tourism’s labour force has 170,000 fewer individuals than the same month pre-COVID. Tourism HR Canada plays a lead role in attraction, retention, and skills development initiatives.
“We benefit from a highly engaged and knowledgeable board, who collaborate to ensure the success of strategies to support the tourism workforce in every corner of the country,” states Philip Mondor, President and CEO of Tourism HR Canada. “We welcome to this committed group France and Xavier, whose dedication to the tourism sector is evidenced through their consistent championing of labour market initiatives. Their perspectives will be invaluable as we continue to build a resilient, competitive, and inclusive tourism workforce.”
France and Xavier fill vacancies in the educator/researcher and provincial association categories, respectively.
At ITHQ, France is responsible for government relations and international development. She has a master’s degree in public administration from the École nationale d’administration publique du Québec (ENAP) and completed training at the College of Corporate Governance at Laval University. She is also the president of the Quebec Association for Training in Catering, Tourism and Hospitality, as well as a member of the Board of Directors of the Quebec Restaurants, Hospitality, and Tourism Workforce Committee.
France’s diversified career includes having worked in politics, as Member of Parliament for Kamouraska-Témiscouata in the National Assembly of Quebec, and as Parliamentary Assistant to the Ministers of Industry, Trade and Finance of Quebec; in public administration, as Assistant Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Culture and Communications of Quebec, as well as at the Secretariat for Senior Employment of the Ministry of the Executive Council of Quebec; as a consultant in strategy and regional development for various departments of the Government of Canada and the Réseau des Sociétés d’aide au développement des collectivités (SADC) du Québec; and internationally, as Quebec Delegate in New England, with Global Affairs Canada, with the Royal Bank International Centre of Canada, and with the International Relations Office of the City of Quebec.
“It’s with great enthusiasm that I join the board of directors of Tourism HR Canada,” says France. “The tourism, hotel, and restaurant workforce, young and ‘less-young’, is the most precious asset and must be supported, without hesitation, everywhere across Canada!”
Xavier spent 15 years in the field as a professional in the hospitality industry before joining the Association Hôtellerie Québec, and then moved to his current role at CQRHT, a non-profit organization mandated by the provincial government.
With his experience as a director on half a dozen Boards in organizations of various sizes in the fields of tourism, diversity and education, Xavier has developed strong skills in stakeholder engagement and mobilization, business development, and project management, as well as in fostering relations with various levels of government. Xavier brings expertise and strong leadership in human resources, labour market intelligence, and skills development to fuel the innovative strategies initiated by Tourism HR Canada in recent years and promote the necessary transformation of the tourism sector from a labour market and human resources perspective.
“I am delighted to join the Board of Directors and to have the opportunity to actively contribute to the organization’s innovation-oriented and intensely focused strategy to foster new solutions to the transformation of the labour market and the human resources practices in the tourism industry,” states Xavier.
Tourism HR Canada board and staff members thank outgoing directors Vince Accardi (Ontario Motor Coach Association and Motor Coach Canada), Frederic Dimanche (Toronto Metropolitan University), and Shannon Fontaine (Manitoba Tourism Education Council/Manitoba Tourism Education College) for their steady guidance and significant contributions, and look forward to ongoing collaboration.
Tourism HR Canada would like to thank all who put forward nominations to fill these roles.
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About Tourism HR Canada:
Tourism HR Canada is a pan-Canadian organization with a mandate aimed at building a world-leading tourism workforce. It facilitates, coordinates, and enables human resource development activities that support a globally competitive and sustainable industry and foster the development of a dynamic and resilient workforce. The organization works with the industry to attract, train, and retain valuable tourism professionals by giving them the tools and resources they need to succeed in their careers and entrepreneurial endeavours.
Media Enquiries:
Heather Elder, Director, Marketing, Tourism HR Canada, helder@tourismhr.ca