Enriching lives through travel
for more than 35 years.
GHardy Tours: educational travel and custom tours for schools, organizations, families, and lifelong learners of all ages.
Where the GHardy
story all began.
Our roots are in Europe, but our passion for organizing life-changing travel journeys spans the entire globe.
The vision started with the extraordinary Georgia Hardy. Born in Budapest, Hungary, Georgia lived in Austria and Venezuela before coming to Canada in the 1950s. With a personal exuberance and cosmopolitan flair, Georgia made her name in the educational travel business, honing her talents at Butterfield & Robinson. She developed a rare mastery of the student trip niche and soon attracted an avid following of teachers and youth leaders.
From there, she broke out on her own. In 1987, Georgia founded Georgia Hardy Tours, as a specialty travel company serving schools, youth organizations and educational institutions.
Today, Georgia’s legacy lives on, and GHardy Tours is a family-owned and operated bespoke travel company based in mid-town Toronto. While still a Canadian leader in student travel, it has expanded to also offer specialty tours, luxury vacations, and bespoke, tailor-made adventures around the globe.
While Europe remains a focus and a real specialty, there is no point on the compass GHardy Tours can’t take you to — with flair, finesse and first-rate planning.
Hear it from our clients first
George Hardy
President
Strong leadership is in the details.
As president of GHardy Tours, George blends his mother’s passion for travel with a business background in corporate finance. A chartered accountant with a degree in commerce from the University of Toronto, he took the helm of the family business in 1992, expanding its scope beyond strictly student travel to encompass bespoke journeys for individuals and groups.
George is very much a hands-on leader, travelling widely to inspect hotels and restaurants, and ensure all itineraries flow smoothly. With a big heart for his travellers and a head for numbers, George also scrutinizes every trip costing to ensure each client receives maximum value for every travel dollar spent.
In addition to leading the company, George is also an experienced tour organizer and destination expert himself. Notably, he’s arranged ski trips to Zermatt, exclusive golf trips to some of the world’s signature locations, and top-notch student music trips for one of Canada’s premier choir schools.
- Places he’s lived: Canada and the UK.
- Travel destinations he loves most: South of France (wine, cuisine and lifestyle). Skiing in Zermatt Switzerland (winter). Sailing in the Mediterranean (summer)
Melina Mancini
Vice President, Sales
Creator of captivating voyages.
Since 2004, Melina has brought her infectious enthusiasm and wealth of overseas travel experience to enliven the journey for GHardy Tours customers. As client liaison for the company today, she is the first point of contact for all GHardy Tours travellers and suppliers.
Her passion for travel started at University of Western Ontario (UofW) where she was selected as the very first UofW student to study Italian language and culture in Siena, Italy on the study abroad program. Joyously infected by the travel bug, Melina moved to Madrid after graduation to teach business English to high profile clients like the European Commission. From there, she moved to Scotland for a wee spell, honing her customer service skills in the recruitment field.
Energetic and resourceful, Melina is the first point of contact at GHardy Tours for clients in the trip planning process. Melina’s understanding of the detailed requirements for groups is unparalleled. She is an expert at navigating the complex trip approval process for school boards and public institutions. Melina’s dedication to planning and executing tours for educators and teachers is remarkable.
Fluent in Italian and a true citizen of the world, Melina is most passionate about rooting out enthralling new locations to share with her travellers. As a mother of two young boys, she also understands the delightful challenges of travelling with active kids and keeping them engaged and happy.
- Places she’s lived: Canada, Italy, Spain, Ireland and Scotland.
- Travel destinations she loves most: Costa Rica (nature and wellness) and Italy (because Italy has the best of everything!)
Kathleen Hardy
Vice President, Product Development & Luxury Experiences
Navigator of extraordinary travel experiences.
As our destination expert and luxury itinerary trailblazer, Kathleen Hardy has been breathing life into GHardy bespoke travel journeys for more than a decade. Together with her husband George, she helps steer the organization forward, respecting its proud heritage while innovating its present and future. Prior to joining the company, Kathleen was a corporate communications executive, leading national campaigns for some of Canada’s top technology brands.
Her strong communication skills ensure excellent rapport and open dialogue with specialty travel clients. An avid traveller with an insatiable curiosity (and a BAH in History and English from Queen’s Unviersity), she is a master at crafting imaginative itineraries, packed with a bounty of special extras, for clients like the Royal Ontario Museum, culture-focused small groups, and luxury family vacations. Kathleen’s knowledge of destinations and carefully curating experiences to reflect a particular travel style is an invaluable resource that all GHardy Tours staff rely on.
The mother of two well-travelled teen girls, she has a special interest in designing magical, multi-generational family trips that delight, excite and celebrate special occasions.
- Places she’s lived: Canada, England and Switzerland.
- Travel destinations she loves most: London (culture), Utah (hiking), Switzerland (skiing), Tofino, BC (surfing), Greek Islands (sailing).
Connie Koenigkann
Vice President, Adventure & Experiential Travel
Architect of inspiring bespoke journeys
Born in New York and raised in Brazil, Connie grew up near the iconic beaches of Rio de Janeiro before attending university in New England at Boston University. After more twenty years in the fast-paced environment of Investment Banking in New York and London, she is now based in Canada. Working on Wall Street equipped her with the skills to excel in high-pressure situations, underscoring the importance of meticulous planning and attention to detail, and above all, meeting the demands of very sophisticated clients.
Connie’s true passion is travel. She’s explored over 68 countries, nurturing a profound affection for the diverse cultures, landscapes, and experiences that Africa, South America and Europe have to offer.
A native Spanish and Portuguese speaker, Connie brings her in-depth experience and knowledge to GHardy Tours of these enchanting continents. She designs unforgettable adventures for the most discerning of clients.
- Places she’s lived: Brazil, USA, England, Spain, and Canada.
- Destinations she loves the most: Botswana (horseback riding on safari), Argentina (wine tasting and crossing the Pampas on horseback), Spain (cycling), and the magic of Disney World (annually with her young son!)
Bryan Bonnah, OCT
Experiential Learning Leader & Product Developer
Curator of cultural learning journeys.
With more than twenty years of experience developing and leading experiential learning opportunities around the world, Bryan works with GHardy Tours to craft custom tours for educators from the inspiration phase to post tour follow-up.
He is member in good standing with the Ontario College of Teachers with more than 30 years in education as a classroom teacher (English, Career Studies, Special Education, and Business), Board Program Coordinator (Students with Diverse Learning Needs), IB Program Coordinator, Department Head of Guidance and Career Education, and Department Head of Special Education. With extensive experience in education and travel, Bryan consults in the development of fun and rewarding experiential learning journeys and supports the alignment with curriculum expectations in a variety of subject areas. Respecting the principles of inclusive education, Bryan seeks to ensure all participants are able to fully participate in the educational experience of a lifetime.
Bryan’s love of the arts includes opera, classical music, and film. He’s attended multiple music festivals across the UK and Europe, while in Toronto he is a passionate supporter of the Canadian Opera Company (COC) and the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF)
- Places he’s lived: New Zealand and Canada
- Travel destinations he loves the most: Verona (opera), Norway (luxe wilderness), Tanzania (safari), South Africa (Franschhoek and Stellenbosch wines)
Stephanie Gooch
Account Executive
Steph’s love for travel and the outdoors started at Outward Bound Canada in 2001 and only continued to grow after studying abroad in Italy in 2002. After University, her passion for travel led her to the west coast of Canada where she spent most of her 20’s, hiking some of Canada’s most iconic trails, snowboarding all over the Rockies,and travelling to South or Central America in the off season. She has explored 5 continents and over 20 countries, fully immersing herself in the experience of travel.
Steph turned her passion into a career in 2012 at G/Hardy Tours where she started in registrations, but after leading multiple trips, she shifted her focus and began planning trips for student groups. She now works alongside her colleague and mentor Melina Mancini to create and design the perfect itinerary for any traveller.
Understanding the importance of education in travel, Steph works closely with teachers and individuals alike to create a safe, engaging and unique travel experience – and, with a focus in outdoor education and adventure travel, Steph’s passion will have you travelling to some of the most beautiful places on earth.
- Places she’s lived: Italy, Canada, Australia
- Travel Destinations she loves the most: Canada (nature, mountains and oceans), Australia (beaches and surfing), Iceland (sustainability and landscape), Italy (food and culture)
