First Class Holidays has taken on seven new sales staff following its recent recruitment drive.
The specialist operator has appointed New Zealand expert Ali Hampton as travel specialist. Hampton previously worked as director of Simply NZ, a sales and marketing company focused on New Zealand tourism.
Other new recruits include Africa expert Louise Dean, who has worked for Africa & Beyond and Jetset Holidays in the past; Canada specialist Charlotte Craig, who has returned to First Class after working for Bakewell Travel for 12 years; and Lily Routledge (pictured below), who joins from Marriott Hotels.
All three have become travel experts at the tour operator working on reservations to take travel agent bookings.
Hampton said: “I am thrilled to be returning to such a resilient industry alongside Dan [Gathercole, managing director], Sharon [Mason, chief operations officer] and the First Class Holidays team. I’m in awe of the way they have used the last two years to expand their destination portfolio and look forward to a bumper 2022-2023.”
Other new members of the team are Piotr Kowalski, who has become the operator’s accountant, and two apprentices, who will join the new First-Class academy. One more member of staff is being sought in reservations.
Managing director Daniel Gathercole said: “I am so pleased with the new team. We have some amazing experience with the likes of Ali, Louise, and Charlotte, and some real talent in Piotr and Lily and the two new apprentices. We are still on the lookout for more staff and will do another recruitment drive later in the year.”