TORONTO — A not-for-profit mentoring program that’s all about developing and retaining the next generation of travel, tourism, hospitality, cruise and aviation professionals, has launched in Canada.
TIME Canada (Travel Industry Mentor Experience) is the latest international chapter for the industry-led initiative with a proven record across Australia and New Zealand.
The program’s site is now live at travelindustrymentor.ca.
Penny Spencer, the travel entrepreneur and advocate who founded TIME in Australia in 2009, and who is also chair and founder of TIME Canada (and the founder and managing director of Spencer Travel), says launching TIME in Canada “is both an honour and an exciting new chapter.”
Over the course of 15 years, and via 63 cohorts, TIME has connected hundreds of emerging professionals with experienced industry mentors through a structured, one-on-one mentoring program. TIME graduates are now leading travel businesses, shaping industry policy, and giving back as mentors too, says Spencer.
TIME Canada brings this model to one of the world’s most vibrant travel markets — at a moment when the industry needs it most, she adds.
“Watching TIME grow from one idea into a movement has been one of the greatest privileges of my career,” says Spencer. “I can’t wait to see a community built on generosity, connection, and mentorship come to life, creating opportunities, lifelong relationships, and inspiring the next generation of travel professionals.”
TIME Canada was recently featured on the Travel Trends Podcast with host Dan Christian. The episode, Company Spotlight: TIME Comes to Canada: Building the Next Generation of Travel Leaders, is now available to stream for an in-depth look at what the TIME program offers Canadian industry professionals, as well as the program’s origins and impact. Listeners will also hear about what participation as a mentor, mentee or partner looks like in practice. Hear it here.
TIME Canada is also getting ready for its inaugural launch event on Sept. 23 in Toronto, welcoming the program’s first Canadian cohort of mentees alongside industry partners, mentors, and supporters.
Spencer will keynote the Toronto event, travelling from Sydney for the occasion. Perspectives from TIME graduates in Australia and New Zealand — living proof of what structured mentorship can do for a career and for an industry – will be front and centre.
The launch event is by invitation, and Spencer says industry professionals interested in attending or learning more about TIME Canada are encouraged to reach out directly. TIME Canada’s site is travelindustrymentor.ca, or email time@travelindustrymentor.ca.
Edith Beaudoin, Country Program Manager, TIME Canada, says: “There is something truly special and exciting about building this from the ground up. The Canadian travel industry is full of talented, generous people who want to give back, and emerging professionals who are hungry for connection and guidance. TIME Canada is the bridge between those two groups, and I can’t wait to meet this first cohort and see what they go on to achieve.”
