Saga Travel, the UK-based over-50 specialist operator, has announced it will merge its cruise and holidays regional sales teams. Robin Shaw has taken over as chief executive of Saga’s holidays division as well as its cruise division; he was chief executive of Saga Travel. Iain Powell, head of trade sales a Saga, said, “The changes announced today are recognition of the importance of our trade partners to our future success. We have ambitious growth plans through the trade and I am confident we are now set up to deliver again these targets.”
Andy Travis has left his post as national sales manager for Funway, and joined JTA as head of leisure sales. Travis, who had worked at Funway for more than seven years, previously worked for companies that included The Holiday Team, Youtravel.com, Medhotels.com and Monarch Travel Group.
John T. Reilly, who oversees parks operations, has been tapped as interim CEO of SeaWorld following the resignation of Joel Manby, who had been CEO of the company since March 2015. Previously Reilly was president of SeaWorld San Diego, a role he held from 2010 through April 2016.
In France, Gilles Pannekoucke has joined Top of Travel as group sales manager. He will report directly to Yann Richard the new commercial director of the tour operator. Pannekoucke had previously been with Plein Vent. Helmut Stuckelschweiger, CEO of Top of Travel, made the announcement as he completed a sales re-organization in the wake of the appointments of Yann Richard as sales director and Jean-Claude Gaudin as head of the group department.
