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.
Parent company The Travel Corporation has appointed Hilton as sales and business development director in the UK and Ireland across all four brands: Insight Vacations, Luxury Gold, Trafalgar and CostSaver.
The appointment is effectively immediately but Hilton will have a month’s handover period with director of sales Melinis, who is leaving to become regional managing director of APT after 17 years with the business.
Hilton reports into Gavin Tollman, chief executive of Trafalgar and CostSaver, and Ulla Hefel Böhler, chief executive of Insight Vacations and Luxury Gold.
Tollman said: “With Paul leaving, we were in a position to review our strategy and structure in the UK and the time seemed right to bring together the knowledge, experience and relationships held by the two established sales teams under the leadership of Ruth, who has done a fantastic job of growing Trafalgar and CostSaver’s business in the UK.
“Our brands are distinct and established, attested to by our recent success at the Travel Weekly Globes, and I have no doubt that all four will continue to thrive with Ruth at the helm.
“We’d like to thank our valued travel agent partners for all their support on this journey, and look forward to our greatest years being ahead of us.”
Hefel Böhler added: “Given Paul’s length of service, it was important to us to the find the right person to replace him and I’m excited Ruth will be leading our UK operation moving forward.
“She has a proven track record in growing the business, knows how we operate and, most importantly, she lives and breathes our commitment to service delivery and to the trade.”
Hilton will manage a dedicated marketing team and a field sales team of six that will now operate across all four brands.
Previously there were two teams of three which went out separately to agents on behalf of Trafalgar and CostSaver, and for Insight and Luxury Gold.
Each on the road sales manager will now have a smaller geographical remit to allow them to forger closer relationships with agents and adopt a more tailored approach to discuss all the company’s tours from its value brand trips with CostSaver to its luxury journeys with Luxury Gold.
Hilton said: “With this model, our sales managers will be the ‘go-tos’ for every agent’s touring needs, with four fantastic and varied brands within their portfolios.
“And with smaller territories, they can take a more bespoke approach with each agent and through deeper relationships, we can deliver better service and bigger impact. So our message to agents is come along and enjoy this ride with us, we’ll support you.”