Loren Christie brings more than 25 years of experience in Tourism & Hospitality to his role as Managing Director of the BestCities Global Alliance. He held various leadership positions with Starwood Hotels & Resorts during his 17 year career with them including Director of Sales for International Congress, Business Transient and Leisure Sales at the Toronto Metro Market. From 2017 to 2020, he moved to Destination Toronto, the Destination Management Organization for Canada’s largest city, where he led the International Congress and Canadian sales teams.
For the last three years he has been running his own consulting and project management company working with a number of clients including IAPCO – as faculty, #Meet4IMpact and the Global Destination Sustainability Movement (GDS) teaching their masterclass on Legacy and Impact, and for Canada’s 2SLGBTQI+ Chamber of Commerce as their Director of Business Development and Strategy. He recently wrapped up two years as the Vice-Chair of the Global Business Travel Association’s Meetings & Events Committee for Canada. He is currently a board member for Ontario’s Regional Tourism Organization 9, which encompasses the Rideau Canal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Prince Edward County wine region and the 1000 Islands. He also sits on the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee for the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario and on the Technical Advisory Committee for the GDS.