Page & Moy Travel Group, one of the UK’s leading escorted tour operators incorporating three brands Travelsphere, Page & Moy and Just You, today announced the appointment of Ian Smith who will be joining as group chief executive.

Smith takes responsibility for the management of all three brands and 300 staff at Page & Moy Travel Group’s office based in Market Harborough and has a strong track record of successful placements.  He brings with him a wealth of experience and a record of success from senior roles held at Thomson, Lunn Poly and Austravel.

Throughout the 1990’s Ian led Lunn Poly as managing director for the ten year period of their dominance of the retail travel sector. At the same time he sat as an executive director on the group board of Thomson Travel, which was the holding company that controlled Lunn Poly, Britannia Airways, Holiday Cottages and Thomson Holidays.

Since 2000 he has held a variety of positions ranging from Chairman of Sun Villas Florida Direct, Chairman Et-china.com, Southern China’s largest tour operator based in Guangzhou, China, and more recently executive chairman of the Education Travel Group where he still performs the role of a non executive director. In April of this year at the annual Agent Achievement Awards ceremony in London, the UK’s leading travel agent national awards programme, Ian received an “Outstanding Contribution Award” for his services to retail travel.

Speaking after his appointment Smith said: “In Travelsphere, Page & Moy and Just You we have three of the UK Travel Industry’s quality brands. Together they command a significant franchise of loyal customers.  I am truly looking forward to leading Page and Moy Travel Group as we move forward to exploit our position in the escorted tours sector.”