Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association CEO Ellen Walker-Matthews Announces Retirement After Nearly Five Decades in Tourism
Longtime tourism leader will remain with the organization through May 30, 2027
Kelowna, B.C. - Ellen Walker-Matthews, Chief Executive Officer of the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA), will retire on May 30, 2027. Her career has included more than 16 years with TOTA and prior to that worked more than three decades in the hotel industry.
Walker-Matthews began her hospitality career with CP Hotels in 1979 and later held senior positions at Delta Hotels and Resorts. In 1992, she moved from Calgary to the Okanagan, where her regional career included positions at both the Coast Lakeside and Ramada Courtyard Inn in Penticton, eventually taking on the role of Sr Vice President for Tepic Management Group/Rim Hospitality Canada, a hotel management company operating across Western Canada and the United States.
In 2009, Walker-Matthews joined TOTA bringing three decades of hotel and hospitality experience into her regional tourism role. Over the years, she led work across consumer marketing, travel trade and media, industry and destination development, and stewardship before taking on leadership of the organization in 2021.
Her industry involvement has also extended beyond TOTA. Walker-Matthews serves on the board of the BC Wine Information Centre in Penticton as well as the board of the Culinary Tourism Alliance and sits on both the Tourism Emergency Management Committee and Destination British Columbia’s Tourism Marketing Committee, contributing a regional perspective to wider conversations about tourism development, marketing and emergency preparedness.
During her tenure, TOTA expanded beyond its traditional destination marketing role, placing greater emphasis on destination management, stewardship and the long-term needs of the region’s tourism businesses and communities. Walker-Matthews helped lead that evolution through regional tourism strategies, industry development and programs focused on sustainability and resilience.
“Ellen has a remarkable ability to bring people together, leading TOTA’s staff with genuine care while building lasting relationships and trust with the board, tourism operators, and communities across the region,” said Sandra Oldfield, Chair of the TOTA Board of Directors. “Her thoughtful listening and innovative leadership have made an extraordinary contribution to TOTA and the wider tourism industry, and we wish her every happiness in her richly deserved retirement.”
“This is an industry of big dreams, led by inspired entrepreneurs working tirelessly to create incredible experiences,” says Walker-Matthews. “Having even a small part in their journey to success, watching their ideas come to life and seeing them connect with visitors has been the most rewarding part of my career.”
Her time in senior leadership also coincided with some of the most disruptive years the tourism sector has faced. The COVID-19 pandemic was followed by repeated forest fire seasons and extreme weather, putting business support and resiliency at the centre of TOTA’s work across the region.
Those years also sharpened Walker-Matthews’ perspective on an industry continuing to change, from how destinations respond to climate and workforce pressures to changing expectations about the role tourism plays in the communities people visit.
“Over the course of my career, I’ve seen tourism and hospitality earn well-deserved recognition as a vital industry,” says Walker-Matthews. “However, our work isn’t finished. We must continue advocating for its full economic and social value. While tourism increasingly has a seat at the table, that representation needs to keep expanding. Moving forward, we have a duty to lead through a sustainable and regenerative lens; always remembering that what benefits local residents ultimately serves the visitor, but what serves the visitor doesn't always benefit the resident.”
The board has initiated steps toward the search process. Following TOTA’s Annual General Meeting and Summit in October, the new board will take on the work of securing her successor, allowing for a smooth leadership transition.Walker-Matthews will continue to lead TOTA through May 30, 2027.
About Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association:
The Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) is an industry-led, not-for-profit Regional Destination Management organization representing and supporting tourism interests throughout British Columbia’s Thompson Okanagan region. One of six regional destination management organizations in B.C. working with Destination British Columbia, TOTA works alongside tourism businesses, communities, governments and industry partners to advance destination development, destination stewardship and industry development across the region. Its work includes tourism research, training, business support, marketing and sustainability initiatives aimed at strengthening a resilient visitor economy that benefits the people and places of the Thompson Okanagan.
Learn more about TOTA at TOTABC.org and explore the region at ThompsonOkanagan.com. Follow TOTA on Instagram at @Thompson_Okanagan.
Media Contact:
Krista Lochhead
Archer Public Relations
778.227.2396
