The Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA) has appointed The Travel Corporation (Australia) CEO David Hosking to its board at its final meeting of the year.
Hosking’s career in travel started at Contiki, where he commenced as a trip leader in 1976 before working his way up to steer the travel brand’s expansion. During this period, he oversaw the establishment of Contiki offices in Europe, New Zealand, Australia and America.
In 1990, he was promoted to Contiki CEO, and in 2001 he became a director of the Travel Corporation, a position he still holds. David has served as a Director of TTC Australia since 2012 and assumed the role of CEO in early 2021.
“It’s been a massive year of achievement for ATIA and we are delighted to welcome a Director of David Hosking’s calibre to the board and have TTC rejoin the board,” ATIA Chair Tom Manwaring said.
“We have always been dedicated to mirroring the diversity of the travel industry at board level to ensure we support the broad membership base.
“We became the Australian Travel Industry Association in August because of this commitment to inclusivity and comprehensive sector representation.
“David Hosking’s addition to the board is testament to this commitment and to our ongoing efforts to embrace and support the rich tapestry of the travel industry.”
Manwaring also thanked all directors, members and those who “stepped up to voluntarily take on roles to advance the travel sector in this country”.
“On behalf of our board, I’d also like to thank and congratulate ATIA CEO Dean Long and his team for a year of significant impact,” he added.
Hosking lauded ATIA’s moves to embrace a broader range of travel professionals.
“In my conversations with the board and Dean over the past year, I’ve been very impressed with the vision to enhance the association’s effectiveness and broaden industry representation at board level,” he said.
“By including voices from various facets of the industry such as tour operators and non-travel agent entities, we can significantly extend our reach and influence.”
At the final meeting of the year, the board received an update on recent advocacy efforts, including submissions for:
- Fiji, Indonesia and Malaysia Air Services Arrangements
- Aviation Green Paper
- Unfair Trading Practices
ATIA remains actively engaged in discussions with political leaders in Canberra. In the last quarter, they met with key Ministers and Senators, covering areas such as Trade and Tourism, Infrastructure and Transport, Competition and Charities, Treasury, and Senator O’Neill.
ATIA also had meetings with several Opposition Shadow Ministers, addressing topics like Infrastructure and Transport, Trade and Tourism, and International Development.
