A 25-year veteran of the local tourism industry is calling it a career.

CEO of Destination St. John’s, Cathy Duke, is retiring after 13 years at the helm of the organization.

Duke previously served as the Executive Director of Hospitality NL, Deputy Minister of Tourism and as the President of the Terran Nova Golf Resort and the Clarenville Inn.

Duke says she’s seen a lot of growth in the industry over that time based on the recognition of Newfoundland and Labrador’s unique natural and cultural assets.

“Many, many years ago we thought we needed to be like somebody else, like we had to be the Florida of the north. Over time we began to realize and have an appreciation for our natural assets.” Duke says looking at the province’s culture and nature they realized “Gosh, people want what we have.”

A retirement celebration to honour her contributions to the local tourism industry is in the works.