Matthew Thomas

About Matthew Hardy Thomas

Hey, I’m Matthew. I’ve worked across tourism, where the challenge isn’t coming up with ideas, but turning them into reality. That's what I do.

I’m the CEO of Parkbus, Canada’s national outdoor travel network, where we work with destinations across the country to turn access into visitation. My favourite park (by far) is Bruce Peninsula, though I’ve got a soft spot for a swim at Elora Quarry.

Alongside Parkbus, I support tourism businesses and destination marketing organizations across North America, helping them move from strategy to execution, through better alignment, practical systems, and partnerships that actually work. I’ve worked with organizations including Destination Ontario, Indigenous Tourism Ontario, Prince Edward County, and Visit Nacogdoches, Texas.

I’m also the co-founder of Whereabouts, where we build software for the tourism industry. We recently won “Innovator of the Year” at the Ontario Tourism Summit. Fitting, because I spent two years getting my master’s degree in Strategic Foresight & Innovation at OCAD University. Before that, I picked up a certificate in Cultural Planning from UBC. And before that, I barely graduated from the University of Ottawa.