Janice Ketchen

I began my career in the travel industry more than 25 years ago when I drove a van full of opera singers around Ontario for the Canadian Opera Company’s school tour program. With a degree in vocal music and teaching, this introduction to the world of touring led me to become a tour director with a number of southern Ontario tour operators. I have escorted school trips to Ottawa and Washington and managed senior citizen tours throughout North America and Europe, all the while jumping on coaches and providing step-on-guide service locally in Toronto and Niagara Falls.

Wishing to stay closer to home, I started my own tourism marketing company called the Ontario Tourism Network which published a tour manual to assist tour operators when bringing groups into Ontario. As the Director of Marketing & Sales for CANTOURS, an inbound receptive tour operator, I researched and created unique themed itineraries for all regions of Ontario. I was contracted by Ontario Ministry of Tourism in 1999 to work with Ontario-based tour operators to develop travel packages which could be sold through travel agencies. This led to a position with itravel2000.com, Canada’s largest online travel agency, where I developed Canadian travel packages for its itravelcanada.ca website.

I am currently the Director of Partnership Marketing for Samba Days, Canada’s largest gift experience company and teach e-commerce at Sheridan College in Oakville. I have been a chorister with the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir for over 30 years and have helped organize choral tours to Europe and Quebec for that organization.

I am delighted to escort tours with Ellison Travel & Tours because of their expertise in working with both student and community musical groups. From my own personal experience as both a tour organizer and participant, I firmly believe that there is no better way to form lasting relationships within a musical organization than through the touring experience.