Flavour of the Week

Flavour of the Week

Take a look at this impressive list of industry movers and shakers. The most impressive thing we’ve done lately is turning up to work on time. That’s impressive, right?

SeaLink South Australia appoints new General Manager

Damien Gallacher 2

SeaLink Travel Group is pleased to announce the appointment of Damien Gallacher as General Manager of SeaLink South Australia. Gallacher will be responsible for the management and leadership of the South Australian operations including Kangaroo island ferries, Murray Princess accommodated cruises, coach touring and charters in Adelaide and on Kangaroo Island and Vivonne Bay Lodge accommodation and bistro.

A proven leader, Gallacher brings to the role over 15 years of management and leadership experience extending from General Management, Trading/Marketing Management, Property Acquisition and Development and Capital and Commercial/Procurement/Operational roles within fast moving consumer goods and mining support services.

Prior to joining SeaLink South Australia, Gallacher was employed with Discovery Parks Pty Ltd as Chief Operating Officer, before leaving the company to join Kellogg, Brown & Root (KBR) as Infrastructure & Services Package Manager.

In 2015 Gallacher returned to Discovery Parks Pty Ltd in the role of Head of Asset Management & Property Development, a position he has held for the past three years.

Victoria Marketing representative for Singapore Tourism Board

Kerrin Trenorden Image

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is delighted to welcome Kerrin Trenorden from GTI Tourism to their team as the dedicated Account Executive for Victoria, based in Melbourne.

Trenorden’s appointment will officially commence from 1 October 2018, and she will be responsible for all trade activities in the state, with the objective of driving awareness of Singapore as both a leisure and MICE destination. Trenorden will also be supported by both GTI Tourism and the Singapore Tourism Board team in Sydney.

Trenorden has extensive experience as a sales executive in the Victorian market. She worked for Thai Airways for six years, wholesalers like Trekset and most recently in a combined role, working for both the tourism board and airline of New Caledonia as a sales executive for Victoria and Queensland. Trenorden’s deep understanding of the travel retail and wholesale scene in the state and her excellent network of contacts in the travel and MICE industry make her a natural choice for the Board’s promotional efforts in Victoria.

New Tourism Noosa CEO announced – extensive search leads to local leader

steve-mcpharlin-Aug2018

After an extensive recruitment process for a new CEO that included nearly 200 applications from across Australia and further afield, Tourism Noosa has announced that local tourism leader and destination advocate, Steve McPharlin, has been appointed to the position of CEO.

Tourism Noosa Deputy Chair, Elizabeth Reynolds, said that the appointment was made unanimously by the Board of Tourism Noosa and reflects the skills and knowledge of  McPharlin.

McPharlin said: “I am thrilled to be stepping into this role and am passionate about ensuring we have a sustainable tourism base that is prosperous and progressive for the Noosa region.”

Celestyal Cruises appoints Stewart Williams Regional Manager, APAC

Photo_Stewart Williams_APAC Regional Manager

Celestyal Cruises (“Celestyal”), the main home-porting cruise operator in Greece and the preeminent cruise line serving the Greek Islands and the Eastern Mediterranean, today announced the appointment of Stewart Williams as Regional Manager, APAC, effective 10 September 2018. Williams will report to Marios Polydorou, Director, Sales and Travel Services.

Williams is a commercial executive with more than 20 years’ experience in end-to-end organisational leadership across Asia Pacific and Australasia. Based in Sydney, Australia, he has joined Celestyal Cruises to oversee and develop the company’s APAC business, and to enhance revenue streams and maximize business opportunities across the region by increasing the visibility of the Celestyal Cruises brand across all distribution channels.

Williams joins Celestyal Cruises after 20 years as the Managing Director, Australasia, for the esteemed Globus Family of Brands. In this executive leadership role, he was accountable for all commercial operations, with responsibility for the delivery of regional market growth and business profitability. He earned his Master of Business Administration at Macquarie University and his Certificate in Marketing and Marketing Management from TAFE NSW

Sri Lanka’s iconic Galle Face Hotel embarks on exciting new era with appointment of leading hotel executive

Galle Face Hotel_Robert C. Hauck

The legendary Galle Face Hotel, which opened in 1864 and is the oldest hotel east of Suez, has appointed a new General Manager and Area Vice President as it seeks to re-establish its position as Asia’s most illustrious and historic hotel.

Robert C. Hauck, a highly skilled and respected hospitality professional with more than 25 years of experience, has been chosen to lead this exquisite heritage hotel into a new era of excellence.

With qualifications from Cornell University and École Hôtelière Montreux, the famous Swiss hospitality school, Hauck has worked for some of the world’s leading hotel groups including Raffles and Shangri-La in an impressive career that has spanned more than ten countries and territories. Most recently he was GM of Kanuhura, the luxury resort in the Maldives, which he successfully re-launched following a multi-million-dollar renovation and led to a series of prestigious awards.

“It is an honour and a privilege to be appointed to lead the Galle Face Hotel, one of Asia’s most iconic properties. With Sri Lanka’s tourism industry now flourishing, we want to create a brand that respects the past while looking ahead to the future. We have a great opportunity to restore the Galle Face Hotel to its rightful place as Asia’s leading heritage hotel, and I look forward to working with the entire team as we step out on this exciting journey together,” said Hauck.

ATHOC appoints new President

Ramy

The Australian Timeshare and Holiday Ownership Council (ATHOC) has appointed Ramy Filo as its new President. Filo brings vast industry experience to the role as the CEO of the Classic Group of Companies and as a previous Director and President of ATHOC for a period of seven years. As a not-for-profit industry body ATHOC represents the Australian timeshare industry working towards industry best practice.

Commenting on his appointment Filo said: “Timeshare in Australia is an important contributor, particularly to regional economies. With an average 95 per cent occupancy rate in member resorts the industry provides sustainable employment, income, and contributes greatly to local economies. Many resorts are spending millions of dollars on continuous refurbishment and improvement, strengthening local economies and our industry as a whole.”

More than one million Australians are involved in timeshare, either directly or indirectly. The industry is one of the most highly regulated in the Australian tourism industry with many of the world’s most respected hotel chains offering timeshare in Australia and globally.

Topdeck Travel and Back-Roads Touring Co appoints Global Sales General Manager

David Gendle Aug 2

Touring experts Topdeck Travel and Back-Roads Touring Co have announced David Gendle as their new Global Sales General Manager, joining from Australian guided coach touring company, AAT Kings where he spent 16 years.

Gendle boasts an impressive resumé within the tourism industry and has extensive experience in both national and international sales and leadership and training.

Of his appointment, David Gendle said, “I’m incredibly happy to be joining the Topdeck and Back-Roads team and I am delighted to be putting all of my previous industry experience in coach touring to use in my new role.

“I can’t wait to immerse myself into the company and work with the team to deliver even better experiences for young and mature travellers for many years to come.”

Ex-Tesco boss becomes chair at Travel Counsellors

Travel Counsellors, Manchester. Staff portraits. Picture by Paul Heyes, Friday September 14, 2018.

Matt Davies, the ex-UK chief of Tesco, has been named the non-executive chairman of fast-growing travel company Travel Counsellors.

Davies has been responsible for the success of retail consumer brands including Pets at Home and Halfords. In 2015, he was appointed CEO of Tesco’s UK business, and was integral to the firm’s recent turnaround, culminating in the completion of a £3.7bn takeover of wholesaler Booker Group earlier this year. Having left Tesco following the completion of the transaction, he became one of the FTSE 350’s youngest chairman after being named chair of online retailer N Brown in February 2018.

The appointment of Davies comes as Travel Counsellors announces its 12th consecutive year of double-digit revenue growth, with an average annual Turnover growth of 18 per cent over the past five years. In the year to 31st October 2017, total accounting turnover for the business rose to £217m, up 15 per cent on the £188m seen the year before. These figures have been boosted by a strong start to 2018, with the business reporting that total bookings rose 12 per cent in the first half of the year to hit £328m, and sales this year are on track to be in excess of £600m.

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