Samantha Pearson is now Tourism Fiji’s public relations manager, New Zealand, based in Auckland.

Sonya Ridley is now general manager marketing with South Sea Cruises, focusing on brand growth, the launch of new products and other general marketing roles.

Richard Leonard will lead Rail Europe’s Asia Pacific teams in the newly created role of general manager business Asia Pacific.

Ruzanne Keresoma has been appointed to the new role of global sales coordinator with South Sea Cruises.

TMS Talent’s Auckland office has promoted Alisa Wilson to recruitment team manager and welcomes the arrival of new recruit Jo Walton.

Livio Goetz is the new director for Switzerland Tourism Australia New Zealand.

Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has boosted its Australasian team with two new appointments to support its travel agent membership and corporate partners.

Max Downing-Webb is the new marketing lead at APX Travel Management.

Meetesh Patel is the newest recruit to Fuzion Travel’s expanding broker/ affiliate network.

Viva Expeditions has a new destination specialist – Kerren Knighton joined the sales team late April and has settled in selling tours across Latin America and Antarctica.

Wayne Deed has joined Travel Managers Group as a broker.

Chris Schoffer will join Travel Managers Group in the newly created role of business development manager.

After 11 years at STA Travel, New Zealand country manager Sarah Bedford has resigned to take up a global marketing role for Les Mills International.

Air Tahiti Nui has appointed well known aviation professional Grant Sinclair as sales and marketing manager.

Inspiring Vacations has appointed Alka Thapar as national business development manager. Inspiring Vacations is 100% Australian owned and has operated since 2017.

Steve Woods has started a new role at Jet Park Hotels as director of marketing, distribution and sales.

South Sea Cruises has appointed Chris Bain as business development executive to its Australian-based team.

Scenic Hotel Group has appointed Michelle Geale, nee Weir, to the Auckland based role of business development manager.

Jean Hélière is the new general manager at Hotel Indigo Bali Seminyak Beach.

Multinational destination management company, Liberty International Tourism Group has launched into the Pacific region, naming Eugene de Villiers as its CEO for Australia and New Zealand.

Five experienced consultants have recently joined the ranks of Fuzion Travel.

Hamilton & Waikato Tourism (HWT) has two new directors – Steve Gow and Richard Leggatt on the board.

Tony Laskey has resigned from his position as director of marketing and communications in New Zealand with The Travel Corporation – 21 years after he started with Contiki in the UK.
His last day will be Friday 25 January and he will start his new role as general manager industry engagement with Service IQ, the industry training organisation for aviation, hospitality, museums, retail, travel and tourism, soon after.
Laskey began his career with Contiki UK/Ireland early in 1998 and continued as a European trip manager before moving back to New Zealand. He became Contiki NZ's general manager in 2007 and subsequent roles included heading up the Contiki Asia sales and marekting team and establishing the mutli-brand TTC NZ marketing and communications team.

The Auckland team at Tempo Holidays and Bentours has a fresh look, with three new team members joining over the past few weeks.
One, Jo Rees, is a ‘returnee’ who worked with the company for some eight years before stints at House of Travel and Viva Expeditions / Chimu Adventures.
Sarah Beedell has joined after three and a half years at Flight Centre, while Yvette McKinnon is also in the Auckland office having had an airline background with Japan Airlines and Singapore Airlines, and a stint in retail travel before that.

On The Go Tours has announced Dennis Basham as new global head of Industry Sales.

Flight Centre NZ Ltd has appointed Victoria Courtney to the position of general manager product.

Melanie Watson is moving on from her role as commercial manager New Zealand in the Auckland office of Qatar Airways.

SeaLink Travel Group has appointed Donna Gauci in the newly created position of chief marketing officer (CMO).

Outrigger Enterprises Group has appointed Scott Miyasato as senior vice president and general counsel, reporting to Outrigger Hotels and Resorts’ CEO Jeff Wagoner and serving as a member of the company’s executive team. Miyasato will head Outrigger’s legal department and support the company by representing its interests in a portfolio of legal matters. Miyasato comes to Outrigger from Hawaiian Airlines, where he served as its associate general counsel with a focus on commercial transactions

Flight Centre (NZ) Ltd has appointed Heidi Walker to the position of Peopleworks Leader.

Sarah Atkinson is the new marketing manager New Zealand, in the Tourism Fiji Auckland office.

Israel Fontanilla is the new area manager New Zealand with Philippine Airlines.

Sandy Botterill is the new general manager at GO C&I. Among other things, she will be focusing on growth strategies for the business, further meeting clients’ needs and innovations.

Janet Shankland joins Exotic Holidays as its new Auckland based business development manager.

Danae Schmid is the new national sales and key account manager at SeaLink Travel Group.

With a relocation to Wanaka, a newly appointed business manager, and a selection of new tours and destinations Maher Escorted Tours reports it is gearing up for an exciting 2019 tour programme.

Rocky Mountaineer has appointed Ben Gorman as sales manager, Australia and New Zealand.

The Travel Corporation NZ has returned home from last week’s global conferences as ‘top of the class’ amongst worldwide colleagues of Insight Vacations and Contiki.

Dan Khanna is the new account manager with China Airlines.

Sheryn Ambler has recently been appointed business development manager for Fiji Airways in New Zealand, working alongside Kate Adams.

Thomas Gentz, well known for a long stint at Air New Zealand, is now business development manager – New Zealand at Back-Roads Touring.

A move by clients back to travel agencies is one of the trends being shared by House of Travel Taupo.

World Journeys has added Emma McCormick to its team of travel designers, to specialise in South and Central America.

Cheryl Dunleavy is now with Sutton & Turner Travel Associates. She was previously with Flight Centre Hunters Corner, Flight Centre Manukau & Flight Centre Howick.

Alexander Siebentritt is general manager of Rutherford Hotel Nelson – A Heritage Hotel.

South Sea Cruises has appointed Hannah Jones as business development executive – New Zealand to its Auckland based team.

Having Ruth Dixon recall her time in the travel industry can sometimes sound like a ‘who’s who’ in the airline sector.

Matthew Christensen is the new general manager for Swiss-Belresort Coronet Peak.

Toby Butland is now head of marketing, Haka Tourism Group. Butland kicked of his career as both marketing manager and guide for Franz Josef Glacier Guides, before heading up marketing for tour operator TrekAmerica in the UK. Coming back home to NZ, he had a stint as brand manager at Avis Budget Group, before joining Haka Tours.

Meantime, Chris Bain, sales manager, Haka Tourism Group has moved to Brisbane with the company. Before joining Haka he was with Flight Centre NZ and following that spent two years with Coconuts Travel Marketing. He is tasked with the expansion of Haka Tourism Group’s wholesale and retail global partnerships.

Graham Perry has been appointed managing director of Best Western Hotels & Resorts, Australasia. He was most recently chief executive officer, Inland NSW while previous roles include CEO See Australia, CEO Traveland, managing director Classifieds at Fairfax Media and managing director Utell International.