Francois-Laurent Nivaud has been named as the new executive director of the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism. He succeeds former executive director Rich Doucette, who resigned last the post last October after just six months on the job. Active in the travel and tourism industry for more than 40 years, Nivaud in 1998 created New England Management Services, a hospitality industry think tank involved in various consulting projects. He also helped found the Boston Wine Festival and the Massachusetts Lodging Association.
Maureen Droz, international sales manager for South Dakota Tourism—she has been with the office for nearly 25 years—has announced that she is retiring, effective immediately. “My husband just retired and it’s an opportunity for us to enjoy the next chapter of our lives,” she told the Inbound Report. Among tour and travel professionals, Maureen is best known for her preferred method of conveyance: her Harley Davidsonmotorcycle.
Ralf Aasmann, a former executive for Lufthansa and Emirates airlines, has been named executive director of AirTkt, a group that brings together 11 airlines consolidators in Brazil. Aasmann replaces Cássio Oliveira, who left the position—he was the organization’s first executive director—after a little more than a year on the job.
Cássio Oliveira, meanwhile, has landed a position as vice president of Grupo Ancoradouro, headquartered in Campinas, Juarez Cintra. It is a muli-purpose travel business which, among other endeavors, joined last year in creating e-Easy Plus, a company in partnership with the BRT, PVT and Wooba, which develops booking platform which now has air, hotel, car, ship and travel insurance.
Intrepid Travel (it is a small UK group adventure travel company that offers product in North America) has appointed Gabriel Quiros business development manager for the South West, Wales and Ireland. Quiros comes to the company from the Clifton Hotels Group.
Kelly Calver has been appointed as trade sales manager at touring and cruising specialist at Cosmos Tours. She joins the company from the Fred Olsen Group, where she had served for more than six years. The appointment comes as the firm has broadened its trade sales strategy to include Northern Ireland. Calver will cover the south of England.
Kimberly Torres has been named sales manager at the Grand Old Opry Entertainment Group/ Ryman Hospitality Properties. She joins the company after serving as director of tourism sales at the Little Rock CVB. Previously, Torres was a sales manager at the San Angelo (Texas) CVB.
A reorganization of the management team at the UK’s Attraction World following its acquisition of Days Out With The Kids early last month has resulted in Paul Stobbs heading up the Days Out brand, while also leading Attraction World as the company’s group chief executive. Stobbs had previously served as Attraction World’s managing director.
Also at Attraction World, Tony Seaman has taken on day-to-day responsibilities for brand and product within Days Out With The Kids but will also act as chief operating officer at a group level. Seaman said Attraction World, which he co-owns, would mark its 10th anniversary this year and had needed to diversify with a consumer-branded product – one that was not subject to world events and currency fluctuations.
Additionally, Attraction World has promoted Simon Applebaum promoted to the role of managing director. He joined Attraction World in 2013 as head of marketing and was previously with Thomas Cook.
Nick Hughes, who has more than six years with Attraction World, has been named sales and marketing director. Attraction World operates in more than 60 countries and offers more than 5,000 attraction ticket packages.
