Antor unveils Spain as new chair in lead-up to 75th anniversary

Antor, the Association of National Tourist Office Representatives, has revealed Spanish Tourist Office UK director Manuel Butler will take over as chair later this year.

Butler, who will succeed the Gibraltar Tourist Board’s Tracey Poggio in September, will head the new board whose composition was confirmed at the annual general meeting on Monday, May 19.

Poggio, who is stepping down as chair after nearly 20 years, will remain on the board in the role of immediate past chair.

She said: “We’re delighted that Manuel Butler, with his wealth and breadth of experience in the UK market and his work with the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, will step in as the new chair, formally from September, and continue building Antor’s long-term goals.” 

She added: “Having overseen the growth of the association over almost 20 years, I will continue to support the board and secretariat, as its immediate past chair, with a focus of building closer ties with the international overseas chapters of Antor.”

Antor, which will celebrate its 75th anniversary next year, said Sweden and the Isle of Man were stepping down as board members, while newly elected members were Italy, Poland and Spain. 

The other board members are the Czech Republic, Gibraltar, Malta and South Korea, with the latter accepting the role of treasurer.

Butler said: “I am honoured to have been asked to chair this prestigious and essential organisation on behalf of Spain for the second time in Antor’s long history.

“I look forward to working closely with Tracey to ensure a seamless transition and future growth.”

He added: “Details of Antor’s 75th anniversary celebrations will be unveiled later this year by the new board, with the organisation aiming to bring together its current, former and new members and the broader travel industry to pave the way for a more connected and sustainable future for tourism.”

Spain previously chaired Antor from 1998 - 1999.

The association has more than 50 members across national and regional tourist offices.