Queenstown-based xtravel, approved broker of Travel Managers Group, has expanded into the North Island with the addition of a new broker.

Helen Urban has joined Viva as sales support. She will be keeping travel agents updated with new sales, tour updates and support Flavio Stadnik in his BDM role.

Tom Svensen is the new partnership manager, New Zealand, with Tourism Fiji.

The ability to specialise and offer flexibility, as well as operating a general retail travel agency, has kept House of Travel Ellerslie in good stead since it opened in December 2004.

Fergus Brown, CEO of Holiday Parks New Zealand will represent the hospitality sector on Service IQ.

Auckland based personal travel manager Nancy Crooks has joined Travel Managers Group (TMG) this month.

Captain Cook Cruises Fiji has appointed Bob Speed as general manager, based at its head office at Port Denarau Fiji.

Lisa Mudgway is the new BDM at Fiji Airways and will primarily be looking after Flight Centre and STA, but will also call on all brands.

Benjamin Dale is Abercrombie & Kent’s New Zealand account manager, based at the new Auckland office on Hobson Street.

Erin Daly has joined World Journeys’ team of expert travel designers this week.

Lynn Meechan has joined Exotic Holidays as groups manager.

Gray Gibson, former owner of Mondo Travel Takapuna and past member of the New Zealand Olympic Yachting team has joined Active Asia to take the group role to a new level.

Terri Hayley is new with NZ Travel Brokers in Lower Hutt.

Heritage Hotel Management has promoted Jass Sidhu from central reservations team leader to revenue and yield manager for the Heritage and City Life Auckland Hotels.

Gilpin Travel has a number of new faces in its team.

Mark Wood of Lateral Travel has joined Travel Managers Group as a broker.

Sara MacLeod has been named director global sales New Zealand with Marriott International.

Fiona Teama has been appointed marketing manager of Tourism Solomons.

Julie King and Associates (JKA) has appointed Dylan Joffe as country manager - New Zealand.

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.