Classic Collection Holidays has appointed Kate Samuel to the newly-created role of senior product and purchasing manager.
Samuel was most recently sales manager at Anantara Hotels and has previously worked as product manager for Audley Travel and Trailfinders.
At Classic, she will oversee the operator’s expansion in the Caribbean, Mauritius and the Seychelles and lead the operator’s 16-strong product and purchasing team.
Alex Gavalda, Classic’s product and commercial director, said: “Kate brings a wealth of experience in buying and selling single and multi-centre destinations, and a vast knowledge of the luxury hotel business.
“She is very well respected by our hotel and trade partners who had the opportunity to work with her during her last role at Anantara.
“This is another step forward for Classic Collection Holidays in supporting our travel agent partners by bringing more expertise to oversee an expansion in longhaul luxury sales and product.”
Her recruitment follows seven recent appointments by the operator to its VIP, worldwide and product teams.
Samuel said: ‘This is a great opportunity to join a reinvigorated travel company and to use my hotel and product experience to broaden its commercial proposition.
“The selection of new tours, experiences and twin and multicentre product will give our trade partners an even wider offering for their customers, backed by the personalised service that travel agents associate with the Classic brand.”
Meanwhile, Classic Collection Holidays has revamped its dedicated city breaks brochure in preparation for an early March launch.
The new 100-page brochure, which is available initially in digital format downloadable from the operator’s website, showcases a broader range of pre-bookable experiences and hotels than before, includes New York for the first time, and has an emphasis on competitive pricing.
Travel restrictions on travel and phased re-openings of countries mean that the operator is taking a cautious approach to launching its new cities programme with departures starting no earlier than June 21, 2021.