Todd Andrus has joined Premier Parks LLC as director of marketing & sales for “the newest, and most tech-forward waterpark in Central Florida”—Island H2O Live! Previously, he was brand head of marketing, North America, for Merlin Entertainments. He also served a tenure with SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment.
Ellie Westman Chin, the longtime leader of the Franklin (Tenn.) Tourism Board is stepping down after more than six years. Visit Franklin announced Jan. 5 that Chin will leave to join the convention and visitors bureau in Madison, Wisconsin. Prior to her role at Visit Franklin, Chin was vice president, philanthrope, for the Women’s Foundation of Colorado. Previously, she served for seven years with the Atlanta CVB.
Zac Craig has been named president of the Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau. Craig comes to the position after more than 11 years with Omni Hotels & Resorts, where he most recently served as area director of sales and marketing and was based in Atlanta. Craig replaces Mike Carrier, who retired Sept. 30, 2020. He will begin his new position in February.
Annie Allen, vice president of global tourism sales for CityPASS®, has been appointed for the second time to serve on the San Francisco Travel Association’s board of directors, as well as on its executive committee as chair of the board’s Tourism Committee for the 2021 term. She had previously served from 2013-2017. San Francisco Travel is the official destination marketing organization for San Francisco.
Markus Moschner is no longer CEO of DER Touristik Services, the company’s receptive division. He had held this position since 2013, in which he supervised from the headquarters in Palma (Mallorca) the expansion of the incoming agencies in the regions of Europe, Africa and the Middle East (EMEA). According to published reports, Moschner’s departure from DER Touristik—it is the second largest German tour operator—was at his own request. Moschner began his career at the company that gave rise to DER, LTU Group, where he worked between 1997 and 2009 in Bangkok (Thailand) and Beijing (China). Uli Sperl, CEO, destination management of DER Touristik Group, emphasized his gratitude and wished him the best for his future projects: “I regret your decision to leave us and I appreciate your strong commitment.”
The DMC Network announced the appointment of Lorenzo Pignatti, president of Terraevents, a DMC Network Company, as president of the Association of Destination Management Executives International (ADMEI) in 2021. Lorenzo was the forerunner of the Association’s international development, as he was front line in the task force that met with the former ADME board in 2012 in his hometown of Milan, with the target of making the association one single global voice for DMC professionals. Since then, he has been an active member within the ADMEI community. Lorenzo brings a wealth of experience to the role of President through his 20+ years in the meetings and events industry, and over 10 years running his own group of DMCs.
Gisel Vidals has joined the business development team at Headout is an on-demand mobile marketplace that helps travelers discover & book the most incredible tours, activities, events & local experiences in town for the next 24 hours at exclusive discounted prices. “All it takes is 3 taps and 60 seconds.” The company says it combines “Uber-like convenience” with “HotelTonight-esque” discounted pricing offering last minute deals with 15% cheaper pricing and 3x faster checkout. The company has offices in New York, Bangalore, Berlin, London, Dubai & Hong Kong. A mainstay of the NYC tourism community, Vidals comes to the company from OYO USA, where she served briefly after a tenure with Big Bus Tours, where she was head/vice president of global sales.
Alex Zoghlin has officially started his new role as President and CEO at ATPCO (Airline Tariff Publishing Company) following a two-month, in-depth handover with the executive team. His strategic focus over the next year is accelerating the 56-year-old organization’s ongoing transformation, with an emphasis on making it easier for the airline industry to work with ATPCO in its capacity as a standards body and technology provider, with the intent to dramatically reduce the complexity, cost, friction, and barriers to entry for new and existing customers. Zoghlin brings to ATPCO over 25 years of knowledge and experience in technology, airline distribution, and travel. He founded Orbitz in 1999 and left at its first IPO. He then went on to create G2 Switchworks, a direct connect between major airlines and third-party distributors, which was acquired by Travelport in 2008. More recently, Zoghlin was the Executive Vice President, Global Head of Strategy, Innovation and Technology at Hyatt Hotels Corporation.
The New Mexico Tourism Department has named Lancing Adams as its tourism development director. The appointment last month came almost six years after he served in the department—from 2012-2015 — as its finance director. Most recently, Adams worked as assistant commissioner for the Arizona Department of Real Estate. Adams also spent time with the state’s Children, Youth and Family’s Department as deputy director of operations and as cabinet director for former Gov. Susana Martinez.
Cody A. Gray has been named as president & CEO at Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou Tourism. He had been serving on in the role on an interim basis. He succeeds Timothy Bush who joined OneSpartanburg, Inc. in South Carolina last fall. Before joining Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou Tourism, Gray worked for Columbia County Tourist Development in Florida.
Nick Roberti has been appointed director of group business development in Canada for The Travel Corporation (TTC). Roberti is responsible for the sales and promotions of Trafalgar, Costsaver, Insight Vacations, Luxury Gold and Contiki as it relates to private, scheduled and custom groups across all provinces and territories. Roberti’s previous experience includes positions in sales and business development with G Touring’s sister brand Just You and Collette Tours Canada.
Michael Johnson has been appointed president of Travel Edge, assuming responsibility for both the business and leisure sides of the travel agency which proclaims on its website “We are luxury travel.” Travel Edge is a $750 million company specializing in Leisure, Corporate & Events, and Tours travel. Our Leisure division has 10 offices in the USA, Canada, and Bermuda,
Kara Callahan—she was once director of marketing and new business development at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, then vice president of advertising and strategic alliances at Visit Philadelphia and before that national marketing director at Madison Square Garden Entertainment—has moved into the cultural tourism segment with her brand new job as head of marketing at the Pennsylvania Ballet in Philadelphia.
Jetcraft, a business jet sales and acquisitions firm, is strengthening the company’s presence in the Americas with the appointment of Todd Spangler as sales director covering Florida, Central and South America. Spangler joins Jetcraft following a 25-year career in business aviation, with senior level sales positions at Bombadier, Elliott Jets, Hawker Beechcraft and NetJets. As sales director for the Americas, Spangler will oversee Jetcraft’s strategic partnerships in the region, including Aerolineas Ejecutivas which operates as a Jetcraft authorized representative in Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and the Latin market in Florida and Texas.
Ginger Hoolahan is the new traffic manager at the Broadmoor Manitou & Pikes Peak Cog Railway in Colorado. She joins the facility with an extensive background in the attractions industry—including a lengthy tenure with Six Flags Magic Mountain—and will be overseeing reservations and operations as the attraction reopens its historic Railway. Hoolahan will be the main contact for group reservations as well.
