Airline, online travel agency and travel technology experience is being drafted into VisitBritain with the appointment of three new board members.
Former Virgin Atlantic chief executive Steve Ridgway, ex-Travelport chief marketing officer Sally Balcombe and former lastminute.com chief executive Ian McCaig have been appointed by tourism minister Hugh Robertson.
Each will serve a five-year term.
The tourism body’s chairman Christopher Rodrigues said: “I am delighted that we have attracted three new board members with exemplary careers in tourism and very relevant experience to add to the VisitBritain board.
“Our relationships and partnerships with airlines are a key component of our strategy. Steve Ridgway will add immensely to our knowledge of what matters to them.
“At the same time Ian McCaig’s knowledge of the online travel agency world coupled with Sally Balcombe’s knowledge of global distribution systems are invaluable as VisitBritain develops strategies to support British tourism, a vanguard digital industry.”