Bench Africa has appointed well-known travel industry exec Graham Werner as Business Development Manager for Queensland, Northern NSW and Victoria, bringing his positivity and enthusiasm to the Bench ‘pride’ as Africa bookings rebound rapidly.
Most recently with APT for 13 years prior to the pandemic, Mr Werner stayed connected to the sector with his photography business, providing his skills behind the lens to travel industry events, launches and conferences.
“I am absolutely thrilled to rejoin the travel industry with Australia’s oldest and most trusted African safari specialist,” Mr Werner said.
“Representing Bench is a dream come true for me, with its range of travel styles, responsible travel focus and its support of several organisations dedicated to the protection of culture and wildlife.
“Their long-standing commitment to Australia’s travel trade and the delivery of outstanding experiences to my favourite continent made this an easy choice, not to mention I’m a wildlife-addicted photographer keen to revisit the beautiful African continent.
“I look forward to reconnecting with our agency partners and building on Bench’s already robust relationships.”
Bench Trade Relations Manager Andy Kirkman said: “Graham joins the team at a time when, like many other travel businesses, we’re seeing incredibly strong bookings. Queensland is the logical choice for the next stage of our sales team rebuild.”
“The overwhelming trade response we’ve received from his appointment affirms that we’ve got the right man in the job to take our agent partner commitment to the next level.”
The news follows the recent appointment of returning Africa Expert Rebecca Goosen, who worked at Bench Africa for seven years and has more than a decade’s experience in the Africa travel space.
Bench Reservations & Operations Manager Julie De Palo said: “We welcome back yet another highly experienced and well-respected team member to the Bench family as the demand for Africa travel increases.”
“With the rapid return to pre-pandemic booking levels, we continue to call out for Africa Experts looking for a new opportunity to get in touch.”
For more info, head here.
