Back from Europe—and straight into a different kind of immersion here in Ottawa.
From walking 16 river cruise ships in Amsterdam… to sitting at the table with some of the most influential voices shaping the future of travel in Canada.
It started with the ACTA – Association of Canadian Travel Agencies and Travel Advisors roundtables at the Westin Ottawa.
And what a room to be in.
Conversations with industry leaders across expedition, small ship ocean, and luxury travel:
✨ Cara Matthew — Lindblad Expeditions
✨ Nathan Bowler — Adventure Canada
✨ Stephanie Roles — Aurora Expeditions
✨ Andrea Mendelsohn — Windstar Cruises
✨ Patricia Di Benedetto — Explora Journeys
✨ Carolina Suarez — Silversea Cruises
✨ Joshua Knox — Avalon Waterways
✨ Anup Mistry — G Adventures
✨ Brian Robertson — Direct Travel Canada
✨ Fiona Bowen — ACTA …and many more.
This is the part of my work most people don’t see—but it matters.
One week, I’m onboard ships—testing cabins, comparing dining, understanding flow and experience.
The next?
I’m here.
👉 Talking about where expedition travel is going next
👉 Understanding how small ship ocean cruising is evolving
👉 Connecting directly with the people shaping these experiences
Because staying at the top of this industry isn’t accidental.
It’s intentional.
And the conversations didn’t stop there.
After the roundtables, I was invited to both the TICO reception and the ACTA Parliamentary Reception—part of ACTA’s first Parliamentary Hill Day.
This is where things shifted from industry… to impact.
👉 Travel is trade.
That message came through clearly in conversations with federal decision-makers and industry leadership.
What stood out most wasn’t just who was in the room—but the level of access and substance behind every discussion.
✨ Time with Richard Smart, CEO of TICO, on how regulation is evolving alongside our industry
✨Insight into TICO’s leadership transition, with Andrew Gibbons stepping in as incoming Board Chair following years of service from Michael Levinson
✨ Insight into leadership transitions shaping TICO’s future
✨ Conversations with Tony Baldinelli, Shadow Minister for Tourism
✨ Discussions with Ernie Klassen, representing a tourism-driven coastal community
Alongside tourism boards, diplomatic representatives, and industry leaders at every level.
These weren’t surface-level conversations.
They focused on real priorities shaping the future of travel in Canada:
✔️ National alignment on licensing and consumer protection
✔️ Supporting advisors through shifting global demand
✔️ Improving digital access for small and Indigenous tourism businesses
✔️ Streamlining trusted traveller programs
✔️ Protecting the economics of travel for clients
And the conversations didn’t stop there.
After the roundtables, I was invited to both the TICO reception and the ACTA Parliamentary Reception—part of ACTA’s first Parliamentary Hill Day.
This is where things shifted from industry… to impact.
👉 Travel is trade.
That message came through clearly in conversations with federal decision-makers and industry leadership.
What stood out most wasn’t just who was in the room—but the level of access and substance behind every discussion.
✨ Time with Richard Smart, CEO of TICO, on how regulation is evolving alongside our industry
✨ Insight into leadership transitions shaping TICO’s future
✨ Conversations with Tony Baldinelli, Shadow Minister for Tourism
✨ Discussions with Ernie Klassen, representing a tourism-driven coastal community
Alongside tourism boards, diplomatic representatives, and industry leaders at every level.
These weren’t surface-level conversations.
They focused on real priorities shaping the future of travel in Canada:
✔️ National alignment on licensing and consumer protection
✔️ Supporting advisors through shifting global demand
✔️ Improving digital access for small and Indigenous tourism businesses
✔️ Streamlining trusted traveller programs
✔️ Protecting the economics of travel for clients
This is the part of the industry most people never see.
The rooms where policy meets practice.
Where frontline experience shapes national conversation.
Where the future of how we travel—and how I serve my clients—is being discussed in real time.
From river ships in Europe…
To roundtables in Ottawa…
To Parliament Hill…
It’s all connected.
Because delivering a true return on life experience doesn’t just happen on a ship.
It’s shaped in rooms like these—
where access, advocacy, and expertise come together.
Independent by design, Ottawa-based, globally recognized — Virtuoso Cruise Icon, top 1% worldwide. Focused on delivering true return on life. ❤️
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Sheila Gallant-Halloran Independent by design. Ottawa-based. Globally recognized. Virtuoso Cruise Icon — top 1% worldwide. 🌐 www.lushlife.ca