In this episode of Let's Talk Northern Ontario Tourism, host Karen Peacock sits down with Carol Greenwood, VP of Operations and Partnerships at the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario (TIAO). They start with a discussion on TIAO's advocacy role and the key issues it’s raising with the provincial and federal governments before diving into its work to advance sustainable tourism across Ontario. Carol answers the questions of why TIAO became GreenStep certified, what that means for day-to-day operations, and why Northern Ontario tourism organizations and businesses should seriously consider getting certified too. 

• 01:25 Meet Carol Greenwood
• 05:03 How TIAO Serves as the Voice of Ontario’s Tourism Sector
• 08:36 Key Issues the Sector is Facing
• 14:48 A Primer on Sustainable Tourism
• 17:14 TIAO's Role in Advancing Sustainable Tourism
• 22:03 Why TIAO Became GreenStep Certified and What it Means
• 29:20 Why Organizations and Businesses Should Care About Sustainable Tourism
• 31:50 Measuring and Improving Sustainability Performance Over Time
• 33:11 The GreenStep Certification Process and Benefits
• 36:17 Advice for Organizations and Businesses Interested in GreenStep Certification

About the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario (TIAO) and GreenStep

• TIAO website - tiaontario.ca
• TIAO’s GreenStep webpage - tiaontario.ca/cpages/sustainabletourism2030
• GreenStep’s Sustainable Tourism 2030 Pledge page - sustainabletourism2030.com/pledge
• IMPACT Sustainability Travel & Tourism Regional Event (May 5-6, 2025) webpage - tiaontario.ca/events/impact-sustainability-travel-tourism-ontario-a-regional-event-2
• Facebook - facebook.com/TIAONTARIO
• Instagram - instagram.com/tiaogram
• LinkedIn - ca.linkedin.com/company/tiaontario
• X - x.com/TIAOtweets

About the podcast

Let's Talk Northern Ontario Tourism is a podcast for tourism operators and industry stakeholders featuring experts who understand what it means to run a tourism business or organization here in Northern Ontario. Through casual conversations, you’ll learn about cutting edge topics like AI marketing, Cruise Ship Tourism, and trends that are shaking up the industry. Plus, you can tune in  while driving or doing chores.

For even more  insights that’ll help you grow your business, organization, or community, connect with Tourism Excellence North, which is part of Destination Northern Ontario:

• Website - tourismexcellencenorth.ca
• Facebook - facebook.com/DestinationNorthernOntario
• Instagram - instagram.com/destinationnorthernontario
• LinkedIn - linkedin.com/company/destinationnorthernontario

If you like podcasts, DNO has another one called Destination: Northern Ontario. Season 1 is for people thinking about buying a tourism business, and Season 2 has helpful advice for new tourism operators. 

 Let's Talk Northern Ontario Tourism is an initiative of Tourism Excellence North and is recorded on the traditional territories of the Anishinaabek and the Mushkegowuk. It is hosted by Karen Peacock and produced by Storied Places Media with support from Erica Richard, Naza Obasi, and Gillian McCullough.