TIABC Voice of Tourism Newsletter – January 30, 2026

When I first joined TIABC, our newsletter was circulated monthly. Before long we raised the bar to twice a month. During COVID, we published daily before reverting to an as-needed basis once the pandemic concluded. Finally, we settled on every Friday to ensure our members and stakeholders received timely and relevant information to digest and respond to as necessary.

As you can appreciate, it takes a fair amount of time to compile, write, edit, and format the newsletter content but thanks to my colleague Deb Kulchiski, we manage to pull it off every week. Curiously, of all the things that TIABC does, more professional colleagues express appreciation for the Voice of Tourism bulletin than almost anything else.

Although some think my CEO messages are too long, I hear from folks all the time who appreciate the personal experiences and anecdotes I bookend the core subject matter with as a means to hook the reader.

Notwithstanding the pressure to come up with a topic to write about each week (sometimes at the 11th hour) I’ve enjoyed telling stories and sharing intel in this forum to ensure members stay engaged and abreast of important issues and files. But now that Amber Papou officially takes over as CEO on Monday, this will be my last message as TIABC’s chief bottle washer.

Admittedly, I’ve been contemplating what to write about for weeks and have come to the conclusion that there is no eloquent or easy way to say farewell to a long career, culminating with the last 11 years at TIABC. I considered sharing some highlights, lessons learned, incredible experiences, outrageous stories that never made it to this column, and even exposing mistakes I’ve made that I dare not repeat again. However, there would be no end to this message so let me leave you with this.

I depart confident that TIABC is in a strong position to continue its lobbying and advocacy work on behalf of British Columbia’s tourism industry. With a solid Board of Directors representing all regions of the province, combined with a committed and exceptional team, as well as a healthy complement of key members and partners, the organization is well poised to meet the needs of our sector as the preeminent Voice of Tourism. As I pass the baton to Amber on Monday, I urge you to continue or dial up your support for TIABC to give her the runway to elevate the organization to its next level and deliver the results members expect and deserve. The health and sustainability of BC’s visitor economy depends on it.

To all the colleagues (CEOs, presidents, VP’s, managers, board chairs, directors, peers) I’ve worked with over nearly five decades, many of whom have become good friends, I offer my deepest gratitude for your support, encouragement, trust, mentorship, and grace throughout my career journey. The relationships I’ve come to cherish and the memories shared along the way will stay with me for the remainder of my days on this planet.

In the meantime, I’ll be around for a few more weeks working with Amber and the team until shortly after the BC Tourism Industry Conference. To reach me post-TIABC, please email me at my full name (as you know it) @gmail.com or send a text. My phone number will remain the same.

To be sure, signing off for the final time comes with mixed emotions. On the one hand, I will miss the day-to-day excitement of being part of something special and impactful, both organizationally and communally within an industry that I love and care about. On the other hand I’m excited to see how the next chapter unfolds with more time to methodically check off my bucket list items. And now without a weekly newsletter deadline to meet, perhaps I’ll write the crime novel I’ve had in my head for years but have yet to put to paper.

I look forward to crossing paths with you in the days, weeks, months and years ahead. Best wishes and stay in touch.

Walt Judas,

CEO, TIABC