The president of the Institute of Travel and Tourism Trevor Harding is to retire after 16 years.
Steven Freudmann, ITT chairman said: “Trevor is a highly regarded industry professional who has been crucial to ITT’s growth. On behalf of ITT and all our Members, I would like to thank him for his tremendous contribution to the organisation over the past 16 years.”
Harding will continue in his role as ITT president until June 11, when his successor will be announced during the institute’s conference in Split.
Harding has enjoyed a career spanning more than 50 years in the travel industry, much of it in publishing, but also as a prominent figure at major industry events.
He started his career in 1960 as a production assistant in the advertising department of Temple Press and then joined Morgan Grampian.
He later joined Travel Trade Gazette in 1978 as publisher, leaving in 1989 to join Reed Travel Group, publishing Travel News and Executive Travel.
In 1991, he was involved in changing the name of Travel News to Travel Weekly and forming a global brand in Australia, the US and the Far East.
During his 17 years at Travel Weekly as managing director he was heavily involved in growing the Travel Weekly Globe Awards and the Northern Ball, moderated conferences and was well known as auctioneer at industry functions to raise money for charities including Just a Drop.
Harding is a past chairman of the UK Chapter of PATA (Pacific Asia Travel Association) and past president of CIMTIG (Chartered Institute of Marketing Travel Industry Group).
He has also held a series of non-executive director roles including Hills Balfour Synergy, Southall Travel, C&M Recruitment and Holiday Taxis.
Earlier this year Harding received a special award to mark the 50th anniversary of Travel Weekly and his contribution to heading the business from 1989 to 2007.
He is a member of the British Travel and Hospitality Hall of Fame and has been president of ITT since 2003.