Doug Ellison
Chairman & Founder | Year Started in travel: 1980
Prior to opening Ellison Travel & Tours in 1980, I spent fourteen years in education at the high school level. As a teacher, I organized school tours, which sparked my interest in travel. In 1980 Ellison Travel & Tours was established with only two employees. Today, our numbers have grown to more than eighty at three locations.
We are recognized as one of the most technologically advanced travel agencies in Canada and are proud of our leadership role in the travel industry. In 2004/05 and again in 2008/09, Ellison Travel & Tours was awarded the honour of top Carlson Wagonlit Travel office in Canada and we continue our commitment to you, our clients, to increase the quality of your travel experience, be it vacation, corporate or educational.
Customized tour planning for private groups is our area of specialty and over the years we have established strong working relationships with music groups, schools, seniors groups and community organizations. As the largest music tour operator in Canada, we offer personalized group planning with a major emphasis on music and education for groups travelling worldwide as well as inbound international groups visiting Canada and the USA.
Our corporate division specializes in individual business travel arrangements as well as incentive travel and meeting planning.
As we look to the future we see great opportunities in arranging travel for visitors to our country. Our website has been an effective way of introducing our company to potential clients outside Canada and we have organized tour groups from the United States, Europe, Asia and the South Pacific on trips across Canada.
Our dedicated team of travel planners provide you, the customer, with a wealth of first-hand experience from all corners of the globe. Our focus is on looking after our clients’ total travel needs. Whether it’s a vacation, corporate business, or a group tour, we look after it all.
During my days in the travel business I have had the good fortune to have travelled through many countries, including our own illustrious Canada, the United States and Mexico, the Caribbean, Chile, Argentina and Brazil, South Africa and neighbouring African countries plus Egypt, Greece, Spain, Turkey, Croatia, Portugal, France, Italy, Austria, Germany, England, Ireland, Scotland, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Germany, the Czech Republic, Russia, China and Australia. I have also had the pleasure of escorting clients to some of these destinations and thoroughly enjoy re-connecting with old friends and making new ones as we explore some of the world’s most celebrated sights and attractions.
My Favourites Vacations …
Best Trip Ever – Southern Africa
Most Romantic Holiday – Tie between a Windstar Cruise & Paris/Rome Holiday – 5 days Paris, overnight train to Rome, 5 days Rome
Favourite Holiday – Small ship cruising anywhere
Favourite Cruise Ship Line – Silverseas
Favourite Country – Tie between Italy & Ireland
Best Educational Travel Experience – Tie between China & Egypt
Best Country in World to Visit – Canada
Favorite Student Trip – Escorting Catholic Central from London to sing for Pope John Paul in Rome
My Future Bucket List…
River Cruise – Vietnam & Cambodia
Adventure – Antarctica / Kenya
Romance – Windstar Cruise of Greek Islands
New destinations – New Zealand, Fiji
Educational – Peru, Equador & Galapagos Islands