Fritz Smith, who has been part of the tour and travel industry in Pennsylvania for more than two decades, has been named the new executive director of the Central Pennsylvania Convention and Visitors Bureau. Smith has worked in Pennsylvania government as director of tourism operations and as deputy secretary for tourism, film and economic development. He also has served as vice president of tourism for the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau and most recently was vice president of research and hotel initiatives for Visit Philadelphia
Matias Elisavetsky will be taking on the role of regional director of sourcing for the Americas market for Hotelbeds. Prior to his new role, Elisavetsky had 2006 been with Tourico Holidays since 2006. Tourico became a part of Hotelbeds Group during the summer of last year.
Hotelbeds Group also announced a series of appointments who will report to Elisavetsky, combining existing internal talent from across the three bedbanks—Hotelbeds, GTA, and Tourico Holidays. These appointments include: Renata Cenni, who will serve as regional manager for California & Nevada; Alex Hugh Jones, who becomes regional manager for Northeast U.S.; Alice Kilpatrick, who takes on the role of regional manager for the Southwest U.S.; and Bill Chambers, who changes to regional manager for the rest of U.S. & Canada.
Antonette Eckert has been promoted to the post of senior director, global tourism development at the San Francisco Travel Association. Previously, Eckert, who joined the organization four years ago, had been director of international tourism. Before joining San Francisco Travel, she served as director of Asia marketing for Visit California.
Nick Longman is joining the upscale UK tour operator Audley Travel. The move is quite a shift for Longman who had been managing director of TUI UK & Ireland for several years. Longman, who had been with one brand or another of the TUI Group, joins Audley Travel as chief operating officer at first, then will take over as chief executive on January 1, 2019, replacing Ian Simkins, who has been in the position for seven years, and will step down to become a non-executive director of the company.
Joe Robinson has joined Redeam, a relatively new company that deals with a common problem in the tour and travel industry’s tours, entertainment and attractions sector: paper vouchers and digitization. Robinson joins the business from Big Bus Tours, where he was senior vice president in New York. Robinson had been with Big Bus for more than four-and-a-half years.
Scott Williams is leaving his post as president and chief operating officer of the Newseum in Washington, D.C. to take on the role of president and CEO of Discovery Park of America in Union City, Tennessee.
Tracey Bartlam, a former Attraction World national account manager has joined the Hotelbeds Group as a sales manager, covering the UK, Ireland and Scandinavia for the group’s ancillary bank, covering add-ons such as excursions, event tickets, theme parks, cruises and car rental. Bartlam will report to European head of sales Peter Jones.
Elske Doets for 22 years at Jan Doets America Tours
