Chris Dadson, CEO of Kootenay Rockies Tourism, retires

Chris Dadson, retiring 25-year veteran CEO of Kootenay Rockies Tourism.

Retiring 25-year veteran CEO of Kootenay Rockies Tourism, Chris Dadson, was recognized at the organization's annual general meeting in Kimberley last week. He started with the tourism destination organization then known as the Rocky Mountain Visitors Association (RMVA) in 1987.

He presented his annual report to over a hundred in attendance by reviewing the many changes and challenges tourism has encountered over his 25-year tenure.  

He was also saluted for his vision and leadership in tourism, both in the Kootenays and throughout the Province of B.C.

Officials from the Ministry of Tourism, and the CEOs of the other five provincial tourism regions, were at the AGM to recognize and congratulate Chris Dadson on his 25-year career. Among his many achievements Chris Dadson was recognized as being an early innovator in golf and ski destination marketing, Internet marketing, the use of mobile apps, social media and QR code technology.

He pointed out that in the 25 years he has put in 9,125 days, seen three different names for the association, logged millions of air miles travelling to tourism trade shows and saw 30 B.C. tourism ministers come and go.

As part of his presentation Chris Dadson unveiled an extensive licensed merchandise line for the association trademarked and increasingly popular Powder Highway logo-ed sportswear.

In his closing remarks, he said that, "B.C. has lost in the visitor economy, that the B.C. tourism value proposition has become weaker in recent years and . . . as an industry we need to get a handle on the value proposition or risk losing out to more competitive nearby jurisdictions like Alberta and Montana."

We join in congratulating Chris Dadson on a tremendous and widely respected career in tourism and wish him the best in his upcoming retirement. He will stay on for up to six months with KRT, working at quarter time while the board begins to recruit a new CEO. Kathy Cooper has been named interim managing director.