ToursByLocals Announces New CEO as Founder Transitions to Advisory Role

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VANCOUVER, British Columbia, October 11, 2023 - After turning a dream born on the Great Wall of China into the world’s premier private tour provider, ToursByLocals CEO and Co-Founder Paul Melhus is stepping aside to make way for a new leader. Today Melhus moves into the role of Executive Chairman of the Board, while ToursByLocals President Lisa Chen assumes the new role of President & CEO.

?Chen joined the company as President in February of 2023, with prior high-profile tenures at Expedia and Disney. She has spent the past seven months learning the intricacies of the business and immersing herself in the values and vision of the company that have been the building blocks of its success.

"I'm beyond thrilled to take the helm at this moment in time," enthuses Chen. "With a robust brand, a dedicated team, and a thriving marketplace, I'm eager to build on our incredible track record with our customers and elevate even further the company's extraordinary growth in order to solidify ToursByLocals as a leading global provider of private customized tours. I'm honored to step into the role of CEO and drive the company towards a future defined by continued growth and innovation."

Melhus will continue to play an active role in the company he built. “I am thrilled to appoint a leader who is aligned not only with the strategy of the company, but most importantly, with the people-first culture we want to continue building,” says Melhus. “I’m immensely proud of how we’ve helped travellers make more meaningful connections to the world through local experiences, and am excited to support Lisa in shepherding ToursByLocals into its next phase of growth. ”

?ToursByLocals, an online marketplace for locally guided, private tours, was recognised as one of Canada’s fastest-growing companies in 2019. It has recovered from the pandemic ahead of its travel industry peers, and is now sitting at 70% growth over 2022 sales. In May 2023, ToursByLocals celebrated a milestone of 2 million travellers served, and today boasts an astounding NPS ranking of 89.

?Tritium Partners, who invested $25 million in ToursByLocals in December 2019, isconfident in the evolution of leadership. “We believe in the ToursByLocals’ brand and management’s visionto bring its authentic, personalized private tour experiences to more travellers worldwide,” says Brett Shobe, Managing Partner at Tritium. “Lisa’s extensive experience in fast-growing, two-sided marketplaces has primed her for bringing this company into the spotlight.”