About Us
opening Minds & Hearts Since 1980
about Ellison Tours
Our Story.
It started with a teacher’s passion. In 1980, Doug Ellison left the classroom in Exeter, Ontario to share his love of travel with students—believing that seeing the world is one of life’s greatest educators. Over 45 years later, that dream has grown into something beautiful. A full-service travel agency and tour operator, Ellison Travel & Tours now spans 3 locations (Exeter and London, Ontario; North Vancouver, British Columbia) with passionate travel professionals across Canada who share Doug’s belief that travel opens minds and hearts.
Over the decades, Doug and his wife Cathy nurtured this dream alongside a growing team. Today, the next generation of family carries the torch. Doug’s daughter Marcie Ellison Outerbridge, along with Cathy’s daughter Michelle and her husband Paulo Branco, now lead our incredible team and are writing the next chapter—same heart, same mission, same excitement about where your next adventure might take you.
Today, our specialized groups division, Ellison Tours, operates across Canada, serving clients from coast to coast. We’re among the few Canadian-owned companies specializing in fully customized group tours—from music, performing arts and festival tours, student educational travel, historical and commemorative journeys, to culinary adventures, women’s travel and more.
Our award-winning team doesn’t just know destinations—they’ve experienced them. In a rapidly changing world, we bring the latest destination and industry knowledge, fresh insights and firsthand experience to every conversation. We truly listen to understand your travel needs, then deliver the best value experience possible—here for you before, during, and after your travel.
Every relationship we build, every specialized journey we create, every unforgettable moment we help make happen—it all comes back to Doug’s original belief that travel changes us for the better. We hope to share our passion for travel, people and places with you.
From far-left: Cathy Ellison, Paulo Branco, Michelle Branco, Marcie Ellison Outerbridge, Doug Ellison.
Our approach
At Ellison, we believe that travel is better when it connects you meaningfully with the places and people you visit. That’s why we work with local guides, and community-based experiences whenever possible. Every journey we craft is guided by our commitment to responsible travel.
Our focus is simple:
- Working with local partners who know their destination best
- Selecting suppliers who share our values and respect for people and planet
- Supporting small businesses and local guides in the communities we visit
- Choosing experiences that respect local customs, traditions and environment
- Helping you connect authentically with the places you explore
We’re life-long learners and continually improving how we do this, but we feel strongly that travel should benefit everyone involved – including the places and people that welcome us.
