Michael Hannan Appointed to the Board of Directors of the Canadian Tourism Commission

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - June 20, 2013) - The Honourable Christian Paradis, Minister of Industry, Minister of State (Agriculture) and Minister responsible for the Canadian Tourism Commission, today announced the appointment of Mr. Michael Hannan to its Board of Directors.

"Mr. Hannan has extensive experience in the travel business, particularly in Canada," said Minister Paradis. "His knowledge and experience will be a great asset to the Canadian Tourism Commission's Board in helping to position our tourism sector on the world stage."

Mr. Hannan is President of Viad Corporation's Travel and Recreation Group. He is also President of Brewster Travel Canada, an integrated tourism company and Viad subsidiary.

From 2002 to 2007, Mr. Hannan served as Executive Vice President of Strategic and Corporate Development with Intrawest Corporation where he was responsible for worldwide operations. He was also actively involved with Intrawest's negotiation and successful acquisition of Abercrombie & Kent, a luxury travel company, in 2003, to which he was subsequently appointed President. Previously, Mr. Hannan held various senior executive positions. He was Chief Executive Officer of the Dutch Internet service provider Versatel Internet Group (2000 to 2002), as well as Chief Financial Officer of the Canadian and Latin America division of UUNET (1996 to 2000). In 1988, he began his career as a chartered accountant with Ernst & Young.

Mr. Hannan has a Bachelor of Arts (Administrative and Commercial Studies) from Western University and continues to hold the designation of Chartered Accountant.

The Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) is Canada's national tourism marketing organization. A federal Crown corporation of the Government of Canada, it leads the Canadian tourism industry in marketing Canada as a premier four-season tourism destination. Its vision is to inspire the world to explore Canada. With its partners in the tourism industry, the Government of Canada and the provinces and territories, the CTC promotes Canada's extraordinary experiences in 11 countries around the world. It conducts market research, offers stunning visuals through the Brand Canada Library and provides resources to help industry leverage Canada's successful tourism brand-Canada. Keep Exploring. For further information, visit the CTC website (www.canada.travel).