STA Travel chief commercial officer Paul Maine is to head the holding company of leading inbound operator Hotels & More.
He will lead the newly-created Tour Partner Group, the umbrella business for Hotels & More, Irish Welcome Tours and Authentic Vacations, as group chief executive.
Current Hotels & More managing director Karin Urban moves to become a non-executive director of the board of Tour Partner Group.
Maine will assume executive responsibilities for Hotels & More from September after 13 years at the youth travel specialist and eight years with Delta Air Lines.
The businesses of Tour Partner Group will continue to operate under their own brands and be independently led.
However, they will benefit from the efficiencies of a shared group infrastructure to strengthen operations, enhance capabilities and support an expanded geographical footprint.
Maine joins following the earlier appointments of Mark Pharoah as group chief financial officer and Vera Lett as commercial director.
Chairman Mark Mayhew said: “Karin has been a terrific leader for the business, having accomplished so much for Hotels & More, and I would like to thank her for all her hard work and dedication to date. I am delighted we will continue to benefit from her experience as she moves into her new role as a non-executive director.
“Adding someone of Paul’s calibre as group chief executive officer, who brings considerable expertise and industry knowledge, is a clear indicator of our growth ambitions and strengthens our continued momentum.”
Maine added: ”The creation of Tour Partner Group presents an incredibly exciting opportunity in the DMC sector, with the chance to consolidate a fragmented, but growing, market across Europe.
“I am eager to start working with the teams to realise the group’s full potential.”
Urban said: ”In 1996 we established Hotels & More, recognising the market appetite for a UK inbound tour operator.
“In recent years, as the business has grown, we began exploring how to partner with new companies to expand our offering and enter new markets.
“The merger with Irish Welcome Tours will hopefully be the first of many and the formation of Tour Partner Group will help to facilitate this. I would like to thank my team and all those who have made this possible and I look forward to continuing our work together in my new role.”