{"id":99738,"date":"2025-12-04T10:55:26","date_gmt":"2025-12-04T15:55:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/?post_type=cu_story&p=99738"},"modified":"2025-12-04T11:24:12","modified_gmt":"2025-12-04T16:24:12","slug":"public-relations-travel-career-carleton-grad","status":"publish","type":"cu_story","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/story\/public-relations-travel-career-carleton-grad\/","title":{"rendered":"Destination Dreaming: Carleton Grad Turns Love of Travel into Career"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n Destination Dreaming: Carleton Grad Turns Love of Travel into Career \n <\/h1>\n \n <\/header>\n <\/div>\n\n \n <\/path>\n <\/path>\n <\/svg>\n <\/div>\n\n \n\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n

A seasoned public relations professional specializing in tourism and hospitality, Mandy Sinclair knows how to tell her clients\u2019 stories \u2014 tapping into audiences\u2019 emotions and inspiring travel plans. Her efforts have seen clients mentioned in such high-profile publications as The New York Times<\/em>, Vogue<\/em> and Architectural Digest<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her journey to become a world-travelling media strategist began at Carleton University\u2019s School of Journalism and Communication<\/a>, graduating in 2005 with a Bachelor of Mass Communications and a minor in French.  <\/p>\n\n\n

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\u201cAt the time, I think Carleton was quite unique in offering this degree and the School of Journalism and Communication was highly reputed,\u201d she says. \u201cCarleton was my top choice as the program provided the opportunity to learn about media industries, data analysis and advertising.\u201d  <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Carleton\u2019s strategic location in the nation\u2019s capital provided her with opportunities to gain practical experience alongside her studies. While studying research methods in her second year, she worked for a local polling company, giving her practical experience that complemented what she was learning in the classroom.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBeing located in Ottawa really did have an added advantage,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Public relations professional Mandy Sinclair. (Abby Campbell Photography)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Entrepreneurial Spirit: Forging a New Path\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Following her degree, Sinclair worked in various communications roles at Carleton. While on vacation in Morocco, she decided to move to the country for a handful of months to learn French.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What was intended to be a short-term stay in Marrakech turned into a decade of working as an entrepreneur abroad. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sinclair\u2019s freelance career began organically while working with a digital media company \u2014 identifying a local need for English-language writing services. Her connections to the community and visiting tourists helped her to identify continuous opportunities for entrepreneurship. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJemaa el-Fna, the city\u2019s bustling square, was one of my favourite places to go for its riotous energy and fresh calamari and salads in the evening,\u201d she says. While she was always happy to share her favourite street eats with guests visiting Marrakech, she noted that many had a hard time navigating the bustling food stalls and recognized an opportunity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jemaa el-Fna, Marrakech. (iStock)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI created a food tour company called Tasting Marrakech with a website and $200. I developed the tour based on the street food I loved in Jemaa el-Fna and worked with a dear friend who is a local guide,\u201d she says. \u201cWhat started as a side hustle eventually became my full-time job following mentions in Cond\u00e9 Nast Traveller<\/em>, The Times<\/em>, The Telegraph<\/em> and the Wall Street Journal<\/em>, among others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But it wasn\u2019t her only gig at the time. Her experience in hospitality expanded to include event planning, writing and communications consulting on content and media strategies for clients across Morocco. These experiences led to other writing projects including food and drink editor and writer of The MONOCLE Travel Guide Series Marrakech, Tangier + Casablanca <\/em>and covering the opening of the Mus\u00e9e Yves Saint Laurent Marrakech for Brownbook. <\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a writer for Lonely Planet Morocco (<\/em>2023), <\/em>she found herself contributing to the same guidebook series she used during her early travel adventures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen I was in my twenties, we had a guidebook and would book our hostel once we got to a local pay phone \u2014 hoping that they would have availability,\u201d she says. \u201cI am very grateful that I had the opportunity to travel in that way and have been able to translate that insider knowledge to four guidebooks I\u2019ve contributed to.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Mandy
Tasting Marrakech food tour. (Jessica Josie Photography)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Finding Opportunities through Networking\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Building on her experiences, Sinclair created a blog and launched the country\u2019s first travel podcast Why Morocco<\/em> \u2014 bringing authors, artists, architects and local entrepreneurs together to share their love of the country and encourage tourism.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These projects helped Sinclair share her passion for her new home and deepen her connections with the community. <\/p>\n\n\n

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\u201cThose channels brought me a lot of exposure that I wouldn’t have had otherwise and in turn led to unimaginable opportunities,\u201d she notes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI enjoy art and design and attended art fairs and gallery openings, giving me the opportunity to connect with professionals in the field.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

One of those connections led to a role as the International Press Officer for the Marrakech Biennale in 2016, a high-profile exhibition celebrating contemporary art at historical sites across the city.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was an outstanding experience as we had journalists attending and reporting for CNN\u2019s Inside Africa program, BBC, Spanish television, Hyperallergic,<\/em> and others.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The working relationships she forged continue to this day. This year, she reconnected with colleagues as new opportunities emerged and saw her working on international press relations during the Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial and Manar Abu Dhabi light art exhibition.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOne thing that can’t be taught but needs to be understood is the importance of relationship building,\u201d she says. \u201cNone of this would be possible without building and maintaining strong relationships.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Podcasting equipment seen in a home office. (iStock)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Skillfully Sharing Authentic Stories\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Now based in Ontario, Sinclair balances communications contracts with her overseas network with local small and medium-sized businesses. Leveraging her extensive industry experience, she offers a suite of public relations tools to achieve her clients\u2019 goals. While she concluded her own podcast series, she continues to appear on the other side of microphone with contributions to Monocle Radio\u2019s The Urbanist, Food Neighbourhoods<\/em> and The Briefing<\/em>.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Carleton students interested in forging their own multi-hyphenate career path, Sinclair advises they embrace the unknown and lean on the skills they\u2019ve cultivated during their studies. <\/p>\n\n\n

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\u201cBe open to new opportunities and don’t be afraid to go after something \u2014 even if you think you don’t have industry experience,\u201d she says. \u201cOnce you have your core skill set from what you’ve studied at university, you’ll realize these skills are quite transferable.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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After a decade abroad, Sinclair now lives in Ontario. (Abby Campbell photography)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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A seasoned public relations professional specializing in tourism and hospitality, Mandy Sinclair knows how to tell her clients\u2019 stories \u2014 tapping into audiences\u2019 emotions and inspiring travel plans. Her efforts have seen clients mentioned in such high-profile publications as The New York Times, Vogue and Architectural Digest.  Her journey to become a world-travelling media strategist […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":446,"featured_media":99743,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"cu_story_type":[17],"cu_story_tag":[1924],"class_list":["post-99738","cu_story","type-cu_story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","cu_story_type-alumni","cu_story_tag-advancement"],"acf":{"cu_post_thumbnail":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story\/99738","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/cu_story"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/446"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story\/99738\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":99767,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story\/99738\/revisions\/99767"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/99743"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=99738"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"cu_story_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story_type?post=99738"},{"taxonomy":"cu_story_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story_tag?post=99738"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}