"Destintel was founded on a simple premise: complex problems require deeper intelligence. We bridge the gap between academic theory and the daily realities of destination management."
Methodological standards that stand up to the highest level of scrutiny.
Practical, technical solutions that integrate seamlessly into real-world workflows.
Ensuring destinations maintain full control and ownership of their digital intelligence.
A multi-disciplinary cohort of researchers, engineers, and strategists.
Dr. Farhad Moghimehfar is a data scientist, AI automation engineer, and tourism strategist specializing in data-driven destination management, tourism analytics, and intelligent business systems. With a PhD from the University of Alberta focused on nature-based tourism and postdoctoral research in recreation and the human dimensions of wildlife management, Dr. Moghimehfar brings over a decade of experience in research design, advanced data analysis, and applied problem-solving. His background in engineering further strengthens his ability to design scalable, efficient systems that integrate data, automation, and decision-making. He has held faculty positions at the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) and Vancouver Island University (VIU), where he has taught data analytics, research methods, and advanced, practical applications of artificial intelligence, with a strong emphasis on real-world implementation. He currently serves as the BC Regional Innovation Chair in Tourism and Sustainable Rural Development at VIU, leading initiatives focused on sustainable tourism, rural economic development, and innovation in destination planning. Dr. Moghimehfar’s work sits at the intersection of analytics, strategy, and community engagement. He has led and advised on numerous projects across Canada and internationally, working closely with governments, destination management organizations, Indigenous communities, and industry partners. His expertise includes visitor use management, economic impact analysis, recreation and trail planning, and economic diversification strategies that support resilient and sustainable communities. As a co-founder of Destintel, he leads the development of AI-powered and data-driven solutions that help organizations move from reactive decision-making to predictive, automated, and insight-driven strategies. His approach combines technical depth with strong interpersonal and leadership skills—enabling him to translate complex data into clear strategies, facilitate stakeholder alignment, and guide projects from concept to implementation. Dr. Moghimehfar is recognized for his ability to bridge disciplines and sectors, bringing together data science, AI, and tourism expertise to deliver practical, high-impact solutions for destinations and businesses.
Monir Shahzeidi is a researcher and analyst at Destintel, specializing in qualitative research, experiential tourism, and the socio-economic dimensions of tourism and community development. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and a Master’s degree in Sustainable Leisure Management, and is currently a PhD candidate in Kinesiology at the University of British Columbia (UBC). With a multidisciplinary background spanning finance, economics, and tourism, Monir brings a well-rounded perspective to understanding both the human and economic aspects of destination development. Monir has several years of experience in finance and economic analysis, which informs her ability to connect qualitative insights with broader economic and policy contexts. Her core expertise lies in qualitative research design and analysis, including in-depth interviews, thematic analysis, and the interpretation of complex social data to inform decision-making. Her work focuses particularly on experiential tourism, exploring how visitors engage with destinations and how these experiences intersect with community well-being, cultural context, and sustainable development. She is especially skilled at translating rich qualitative data into meaningful insights that support destination planning, stakeholder engagement, and strategic development. At Destintel, Monir contributes to research design, data collection, and analysis, ensuring that projects are grounded in rigorous methodology and human-centered insight. Her approach strengthens the integration of community perspectives and lived experiences into data-driven destination management strategies.
Alireza Moghimehfar is a co-founder of Destintel and a technical specialist in AI automation, web development, and SEO engineering, with a focus on building intelligent, data-driven digital systems. With a background in engineering and a Master of Science in Kinesiology, he brings a multidisciplinary, systems-oriented approach to designing scalable and efficient solutions. His expertise spans full-stack web development, technical SEO, and advanced data integration, enabling the creation of high-performance platforms optimized for both users and search engines. Alireza has extensive experience developing and deploying AI-powered automation systems, including workflows that streamline business operations, enhance decision-making, and reduce manual processes. He is particularly specialized in Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) systems, integrating large language models with structured and unstructured data sources to build intelligent applications such as custom chatbots, knowledge systems, and decision-support tools. He has led and contributed to multiple international projects, delivering custom web platforms, AI-driven solutions, and advanced SEO strategies. His technical expertise includes optimizing site architecture and crawlability, improving Core Web Vitals, implementing structured data, and building analytics pipelines that support continuous performance optimization. In addition to his technical capabilities, Alireza has several years of experience in nature-based tourism, allowing him to design solutions that are aligned with the needs of destination management organizations and tourism businesses. This domain knowledge ensures that the systems he builds are not only technically robust but also contextually relevant. At Destintel, Alireza leads the development of AI-powered and data-integrated digital infrastructures, bridging web technologies, automation, and analytics. His work enables clients to move beyond static digital presence toward intelligent, adaptive systems that drive visibility, efficiency, and growth.
Mohsen Hajiloo is an engineering leader specializing in conversational AI, machine learning, and data analytics, with extensive experience building scalable, AI-driven solutions. He has led high-impact engineering teams at Amazon Web Services (AWS), where he currently serves as Engineering Manager for Conversational Analytics and AI within Amazon Connect, and previously led BI and data analytics integrations for AWS RDS SQL Server. His work has focused on developing intelligent systems that improve customer interaction, strengthen analytics infrastructure, and support large-scale technical innovation. With a Ph.D. in Computing Science with a focus on machine learning from the University of Alberta and postdoctoral research at the University of Toronto in ML/AI applications in biology and medicine, Mohsen combines deep academic expertise with practical industry experience. Earlier in his career, he worked as a Machine Learning Engineer at Amii and as a Software Engineer in Iran, building a strong foundation in applied AI and software development. His background in both research and industry allows him to bridge advanced machine learning methods with real-world engineering and product needs.