#ATTA ANNOUNCES MAJOR STAFF CHANGES ON THE SIDELINES OF #MKTE2017
(Posted 04th October 2017)
The Sarova Stanley once again provided the venue for the annual ATTA get together of members and over 130, including invited guests, turned up this evening at the end of the second day of the Magical Kenya Travel Expo.
Members of ATTA were in for some major breaking news as Nigel Vere Nicoll
announced his retirement as long serving CEO of the organization effective end of December this year.
Nigel, who will from January next year become the President of ATTA, then introduced his successor who will effective 01st of January 2018 take over from him as CEO, Mr. Chris Mears.
The organization has under Nigel’s leadership grown to almost 600 members from 42 countries around the world with 22 African countries having ATTA chapters.
Nigel, in his short address this evening recalled that 35 years ago at the same venue he launched Signet Hotels before a decade later moving on to take charge at ATTA in 1992. The African Travel and Tourism Association since then developed in to Africa’s premier global tourism business association with the sole focus on selling Africa as a destination.
Current Chairman of ATTA is Julian Edmunds, CEO of Coastal Aviation in Dar es Salaam, today the largest airline of its kind in Eastern Africa, flying to over 40 destinations every day and having uplifted over 215.000 passengers last year.
(Seen here from right to left are Nigel Vere Nicoll, Chris Mears and Julian Edmunds at the ATTA membership cocktail this evening held at the Sarova Stanley Hotel)
Seeing Nigel leave the sharp end of the job will bring an era and career in African tourism to a remarkable end. Nigel, who is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, made his mark in Kenya when he was Managing Director of Signet Hotels, which was later on sold to Lonrho Africa to become Lonrho Hotels.
After leaving Signet Nigel served in various top management positions like Wild Africa Safaris, Universal Travel and On Safari Ltd before being appointed CEO of ATTA.
This correspondent, having known Nigel from his Kenyan days, takes this opportunity to wish him all the best in the future, which in his capacity as President of ATTA will keep him closely connected to Africa.
All the best also to Chris who since joining ATTA has energetically worked to build on the foundations laid by Nigel and who will ensure a smooth transition at the end of the year.
Also see the link to another breaking news development about ATTA’s plans for a brand new marketing event for Africa in London:
https://atcnews.org/2017/10/03/atta-sets-date-for-new-marketing-event-in-london/
