Philadelphia born and raised Carri Tovsky has been a true cheerleader for the “City of Brotherly Love” ever since moving to downtown Philadelphia in the mid-‘90s. This love for her city led Tovsky to a career in tourism and hospitality.
Living just blocks from the famous “Rocky steps” for the past two decades, it’s fascinating to see the affection that the world has for this fictional Philadelphia underdog, which will be celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2026! Tovsky is a die-hard Rocky fan herself, frequently seen running those steps as part of her exercise routine. “You can’t beat the view of Philly’s skyline from the top of the steps. It makes me fall back in love with this city every time,” she said.
Tovsky got her start in the events business by pure persistence. Without much of a direction after graduating college, she worked a corporate golf outing and realized how much she loved the planning aspect of an event and watching it all come to fruition. That is when she made the decision to pursue a career in event planning.
“I attended the International Film Festival in Philadelphia and set out to learn who produced the event. The owner was not hiring at the time, but she suggested Tovsky follow up in six months. The next time, she brought the hopeful meeting professional in for an interview. “She looked at me and said, ‘Based on your resume alone you have no experience, but you have been persistent, and I like that.’ So she hired me and my journey in this exciting industry began, which included jobs in event planning, meeting planning and eventually tourism.”
Tovsky is a veteran of the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau where she worked in Global Tourism and was responsible for organizing familiarization (FAM) trips for travel agents and tour operators visiting from Western Europe. “My time there opened my eyes to a world of travel, and my passion for travel truly emerged,” she said.
She then went on to become the long-time owner and operator of Global Tour Connection LLC, a destination management company based in the city. “We work with corporate, leisure and student groups alike in handling the logistics of their visit, whether they are here for a conference, event or custom tour.”
And with so many fabulous events coming to Philadelphia throughout 2026, her DMC business is booming. “You can feel the excitement building in Philly as 2026 is the 250th anniversary of the founding of our country. Plus, we have four major sporting events coming to Philadelphia next year, including FIFA and the Major League Baseball All-star game.”
Known as the “Julie McKoy” among her friends, Tovsky relishes the finer points of organizing and creating events. “I am a true people-person and love experiencing and learning about new places that I can share with my friends and colleagues. They always come to me when they need a suggestion for a hotel, restaurant or fun things to do in the city.”
Tovsky always had a desire to learn and take advantage of every opportunity to see the latest trends in the events and meetings world. This led her to a side gig as a travel director, handling logistics and on-site coordination for group travel, such as corporate events, conferences, incentive trips or educational tours. Often called Trip Directors or Tour Directors, they act as a combination of logisticians, concierges and event coordinators, overseeing itineraries, managing budgets, staffing hospitality desks and ensuring a seamless and enjoyable experience for travelers.
“What a great way to travel the world and learn all facets of the meetings and events industry,” Tovsky said. “I’ve been fortunate enough to work in some fascinating and exotic locations such as Thailand, Europe and the Four Seasons Resort in Nevis.”
Tovsky is a sponge when it comes to taking in all the creative ideas she sees executed on these meetings and incentive programs. “The creativity and innovations are endless!”
Global Tour Connection remains her baby and priority, but the opportunities that exist on the road as a TD to learn and grow and explore will forever be a part of Tovsky’s world!
