EagleCliff Management

MURRAY ATHERTON

Managing Director
EAGLECLIFF HOSPITALITY LIMITED

With over 40 years of experience in the hospitality industry I have developed successful

marketing and sales plans... specializing in taking them to the ACTION stages, for tour

companies, attractions and hotels. For four years I was involved with the motorcoach tour

business where I dramatically increased the volume of traffic to Whistler (prior to it

becoming a famous four season resort) while also improving the profitability of Gray

Line of Vancouver's sightseeing tour operation. As Vice President of Marketing &

Sales for Rocky Mountaineer Railtours, I was able to create compounded growth in

excess of 15% per annum - 7 years in a row.

I am a graduate of the British Columbia Institute of Technology's Hotel Administration

Program and the Simon Fraser University Tourism Management Program. I have taught

Hospitality Marketing and Sales programs and have served on many tourism-related

boards of directors.

In 1989 I established EAGLECLIFF HOSPITALITY LIMITED and attracted several high

profile clients; among them the Great Canadain Railtour Company, owners and operators

of Rocky Mountaineer Vacations and BC Tel. Working with the Telephone Company and

Tourism British Columbia, I was instrumental in establishing Tourism BC's Hotel Reservation

System (now HelloBC) by signing up over 400 hotel and motel properties throughout the province.

In 1993 I accepted the position of Vice President - Marketing and Sales at Rocky

Mountaineer and suspended the operation of my consulting practice. In this position

I have been instrumental in producing independent package tour brochures, developing

the Marketing and Sales Plans and generating tangible results through worldwide

media awareness.

In November 2000 I re-opened EAGLECLIFF HOSPITALITY and continue to act as

Special Advisor - Marketing & Sales for Rocky Mountaineer.

I now live on Bowen Island with my wife Anna-Marie, where we both are extremely

active in this awesome community.

Professional History
Associations and Community Service:

Past-President – Bowen Island Chamber of Commerce
Chair – First Credit Union, Bowen Island Community Branch
Chair – Spirit of BC Community Committee – Bowen Island
Chair – Bowen Island Community Foundation
Board Member – Tourism Bowen, a committee of the Bowen Island Chamber of Commerce
Board Member - Vancouver Coast & Mountains Tourism Association
Member – BCIT Tourism Marketing Advisory Committee
Marketing & Sales - Bowen Island Golf Association.
Marketing & Sales - Inn on Bowen Island, Ltd.

EagleCliff Hospitality Limited - 2000 to present

Great Canadian Railtour Company Limited - Rocky Mountaineer Vacations – 1993 to 2000
Vice President - Marketing & Sales

EagleCliff Hospitality Limited - 1990 to 1993

Vancouver Community College - Instructor - Hospitality Marketing & Sales

Hotel Georgia, Vancouver - 1986 to1990
Director of Marketing & Sales

Gray Line of Vancouver 1982 to 1986
Manager of SightSeeing Sales

Hotel Georgia 1981 - 1982
Director of Sales

Harrison Hot Springs Hotel - 1978 to 1981
Director of Sales

Delta Hotels & Resorts - 1973 to 1978
Winnipeg's Marlborough Inn - Director of Sales/Assistant Manager
Delta Hotels - Western Region - Director of Marketing & Sales
Delta's Airport Inn - Director of Sales

Mutual Life of Canada - 1972 to 1973
Life Underwiter

Western International Hotels' Bayshore Inn - 1969 to 1972
Front Office Clerk, Assistant Manager,Sales Manager-Catering

BCIT - Hotel, Motel and Restaurant Administration - 1967- 1969
Student - summer employment at Hotel Georgia

Western International Hotels' Imperial Inn - Victoria 1966 - 1967
Front Office

Western International Hotels' Hotel Georgia - 1964 - 1966
Bellman, Front Office, Reservations

Western International Hotels' Bayshore Inn - summers 1962 and 1963
Busboy

Last Modified: 2 July 2009