Canadian travel industry veteran Doug Patterson has joined BranchUp, a Canadian company that offers free turnkey marketing solutions for travel advisors. Best known for his long tenure at Trafalgar Tours in Toronto, Patterson will start his role as National Director – Sales and Travel Advisor Engagement for the company on Feb. 7.

Created by Expedia Cruises founder Michael Drever, Vancouver-based BranchUp delivers a mix of free editorial content and special offers posted daily to travel advisors’ Facebook Business pages. The posts enable agents to avoid spending time sourcing relevant content to share with their page, friends, and followers.

“Adding a well-known and respected industry veteran like Doug Patterson reflects our commitment to Canadian travel advisors,” Drever says. “With travel expected to see a strong rebound later this year, it’s going to be more important than ever for travel advisors to use social media tools to market, strengthen their reputation and drive bookings.”

“I’m excited to join a group who believe passionately in the value that travel advisors provide,” says Patterson. “BranchUp offers a simple, no-cost tool that leverages the power of social media. After a very difficult period, travel advisors couldn’t have a better partner to drive revenue and relevance.”

A 30-plus year veteran of the trade in Canada, Collingwood, Ont.-based Patterson spent the bulk of his career with The Travel Corporation (Canada), including multiple years as presidents of Trafalgar Tours and Insight Vacations, and later Collette. He can be reached at DPatterson@BranchUp.com .