The Canadian Association of Tour Operators (CATO) has unveiled a new website and member’s hub as part of the organization’s continued rebranding efforts, launched late last year at the organization’s AGM.
“We now have a wonderful depiction of who we are and what we stand for” says CATO chair Brett Walker, adding, “CATO’s raison d’être is to work together to make our industry stronger, more resilient, more responsible and rise to new heights for the benefit of all members and our many stakeholders.”
Apart from the public site, there is a robust members’ private site with chat rooms and open forums for existing and emerging issues and ongoing discussions. Members can also set up private chats with other members.
Another important feature is the on-demand polling of members with real-time results. The site will also house an extensive knowledge library of both public and proprietary information including CATO’s own industry reconnaissance.
Walker says, “Being nimble to issues and events is paramount to CATO’s organizational effectiveness. This website features communication tools that are widely accessible, social platforms that are easy to use and will enable discussion, debate and polling on issues, and quickly facilitate cohesion”.
The chair noted that in 2021 CATO released a new fee structure with reduced rates by as much as 75%. Membership starts at $800 year per company for up to three company representatives with access to the website as well as being able to attend any online or in-person meetings. Every company member also has its brands represented on the rotating banner on the public CATO site.
Among CATO priorities going forward are:
• Sustainability: CATO has partnered with Tourism Cares in its commitment to sustainability. To kick off the partnership, CATO executives and some members are attending the Tourism Cares Meaningful Travel Summit in Victoria, BC, this week (Sept. 27-29). Participants include Walker, Stéphanie Bishop and Emma Cottis representing Collette, Globus Family of Brands and GOWAY respectively.
• Economic Impact Assessment & Report: In 2021 CATO commissioned BDO to undertake the first-ever economic impact assessment of CATO members with all members contributing. The results enabled CATO to provide government with verified data to support CATO’s ongoing advocacy efforts. In 2023 CATO will engage BDO to do another economic impact assessment. Along with the relevant aggregated data the report will once again include information on advance booking trends and travel categories.
Visit www.cato.ca .