Big Themes in Tourism: Céline Cousteau and Shannon Guihan

The Tourism Society are delighted to invite you to join them for their next virtual event at 1pm on 14 July.

The Power of Storytelling in Travel

People love stories; they can’t help being drawn into them. Stories ignite the imagination and are the foundation of why people travel. Now we hear about the craft and technique from one of the finest travel storytellers on the planet, Céline Cousteau. Céline will draw on her extraordinary experiences and heritage, and share some of her best narrative examples as we explore the importance of bringing the industry’s brands, destinations and local culture to life for prospective travellers. Joining Céline will be Shannon Guihan, Chief Sustainability Officer for TreadRight, non-profit of The Travel Corporation (TTC). TTC owns 40 award winning travel brands, including leading guided brands Insight Vacations and Luxury Gold, Uniworld luxury river cruising and the five star Red Carnation Hotel Collection. We will hear from Shannon about some of the most impactful TreadRight storytelling campaigns that she and Céline have collaborated on, and she will share the findings of a 2021 Harvard Study into the necessity of sustainability, and why those are the stories are critical for every travel brand to harness.

Céline Cousteau is a humanitarian and environmental activist working with a variety of mediums that range from documentaries to art, from consulting with corporations and foundations to public speaking. Each form shares the same message of interconnectivity between humans and the natural world. As a documentary film director, producer, and presenter, Céline is the founder and executive director of CauseCentric Productions, creating cause-focused content.

Extending her family legacy and her expertise, Céline co-founded The Outdoor Film Fellowship, a non-profit programme whose mission is to empower young the next generation of filmmakers, creatives, and activists to inspire change through leadership, film, and the arts.

Céline is ambassador for the TreadRight Foundation. Her previous work has included being Guest Designer for Swarovski and Member of the World Economic Forum Council on Oceans. She holds a degree in psychology and a masters in Intercultural Relations.

Céline has been an official ambassador for TreadRight since 2015, helping to tell the stories of its projects and partners and shedding light on various sustainable travel topics. In 2018 she produced two TreadRight Storyteller videos; in India, she visited Wildlife SOS to bring awareness to the unknown perils of elephant riding and in Jordan, she showcased the benefits of community-based tourism through her visit to the Iraq Al-Amir Women’s Cooperative.

She has an incredible understanding and deep appreciation for the symbiotic relationship between travel and how it helps one to develop a true appreciation and respect for the planet. Céline regularly presents on our collective opportunity to make travel matter, and has spoken on behalf of The TreadRight Foundation in New York, Toronto, London and Jordan.

www.celinecousteau.com

Shannon Guihan is the Chief TreadRight & Sustainability Officer for The Travel Corporation (TTC), a family of 40 travel brands operating worldwide. Shannon leads the TreadRight team, who oversees the group’s efforts to Make Travel Matter through the group’s brands, including Trafalgar, Contiki, Uniworld and Luxury Gold. Shannon also leads the TreadRight Foundation, the group’s not-for-profit dedicated to supporting projects under the foundation’s three pillars of Planet, People and Wildlife globally.

Hailing from Newfoundland, Canada, Shannon started as a sea kayak guide at 16, and has worked in tourism development and delivery since. She is guided by the belief that sustainability is critical to the resiliency of our industry.

www.treadright.org

Joining details will be sent in advance of the event. We hope to see you there!