The Travel Corporation said Trafalgar and CostSaver sales and business development director Ruth Hilton is to replace Insight Vacations and Luxury Gold sales boss Paul Melinis in a new expanded sales role.
One of Melinis’s last acts in his role was to attend the Irish Travel Industry Awards at the Mansion House, where sister company Uniworld Boutique River Cruises won the Best Specialist Cruise Company award.
He is leaving the Travel Corporation to become regional managing director of Sydney-headquartered APT after 17 years with the business.
The Travel Corporation appointed Ruth Hilton as sales and business development director in Britain and Ireland across all four brands: Insight Vacations, Luxury Gold, Trafalgar and CostSaver. She will report into Gavin Tollman, chief executive of Trafalgar and CostSaver, and Ulla Hefel Böhler, chief executive of Insight Vacations and Luxury Gold.
The appointment is effectively immediately but Hilton will have a month’s handover period with Paul Melinis. Tollman said: “With Paul leaving, we were in a position to review our strategy and structure.”
Hefel Böhler added: “Given Paul’s length of service, it was important to us to the find the right person to replace him.”
The company said the revamp will give the company more interaction with travel agents, with Hilton saying in the past that escorted touring is where cruise was six years ago, and wrongly seen as a product just for older holidaymakers.
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