A Grown Up’s Gap Year – WellBeing Escapes
Sydney day sessions and carefully curated wellbeing trips to places like Kyoto and the Whitsundays. Think circuit breakers, not life detours.
Tourism Whitsundays – Board Director Nomination 25/26
Monique van Tulder
[E] travel@moniquevantulder.com
[T] +61 414 411 072
Nomination Summary
My connection to the Whitsundays spans over 35 years through family property, business ties, and ongoing regional advocacy.
I bring senior-level experience in marketing, branding, PR, and tourism, built through a blend of corporate and media roles. My background includes program delivery for the Sydney 2000 Olympics, sales leadership, and international event strategy with InterContinental Hotels, Air New Zealand, boutique NZ properties, and the New Zealand Tourism Board.
Today, I work across the mid-lifestyle and wellness sectors. I’m the founder of Grown Up Guidebooks, a platform encompassing editorial, podcasting, and destination travel storytelling, and the author of the bestseller A Grown Up’s Gap Year. A qualified clinical nutritionist and health & wellness coach, my work reflects the demand for meaningful, wellness-aligned tourism experiences.
With a national media presence and an active network across tourism, wellbeing, and investment, I bring both strategic insight and a practical understanding of what today’s travellers are seeking, complementing the board’s existing strengths.
Expanded Credentials and Experience
Tourism & Media Background
Founder & Editor – Grown Up Guidebooks
Specialist in wellness tourism, mid-lifestyle trends, family and solo travel markets. Regular travel includes benchmarking competitor destinations (can identify strategic positioning opportunities for The Whitsundays).
Author & Media Contributor
In just six months I secured (ongoing) national earned media through strategic PR campaigns, positioning my brand and book A Grown Up’s Gap Year (#1 in Solo Travel and Mid-Life Management) across: AFR, Sydney Morning Herald, Marie Claire, Body+Soul, Mamamia, MiNDFOOD, Today Extra, Sunrise, The Morning Show, ABC Radio National, and leading UK women’s media.
Digital Media – Proven expertise in digital brand strategy, visibility, and implementation.
Travel & Lifestyle Contributor
Freelance bylines published in leading national and digital lifestyle media.
Corporate Tourism Leadership
Sales & Marketing Management
New Zealand Tourism Board, Air New Zealand, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts – leisure, corporate, and MICE markets.
Program Director – Sydney 2000 Olympics (Sportsworld).
Led end-to-end travel, logistics, and pre/post tour delivery for a major corporate client. Relevant operational experience as the region prepares for Brisbane 2032.
Health & Wellness Credentials
Certified Clinical Nutritionist | Health & Wellness Coach.
With strong alignment to solo and wellness travel, retreats, and lifestyle trends. Offers both personal insight and professional credibility in these high-yield sectors.
Summarising What I Bring to the Board
- Extensive media and PR networks – including Tourism Australia, national editors, producers, and journalists
- Strategic external lens informed by global benchmarking, consumer behaviour, and tourism trends
- Commercially minded, creative perspective across high-value visitor segments: wellness, solo, mid-life, family, and nature based soft adventure
- Outcomes-focused approach to destination positioning and brand clarity
- Proven track record in earned media and digital storytelling
- Olympic program credentials relevant to The Whitsundays’ Brisbane 2032 opportunity
Related Posts
A Grown Up’s Gap Year – Kyoto
Reinvigoration. Real-life escape. A four-day circuit breaker for women ready to put themselves back in the picture – this time under paper lanterns, amid temple bells, and sitting for a very good hot coffee.
A Grown Up’s Gap Year – Sydney Day Sessions
Register your interest in Small-group, in-person days (harbour beach location) in Sydney that feel like a cross between a strategy session, a wellbeing consult and very honest conversation with women who get it.
