APT & Travelmarvel has announced the appointment of travel industry marketeer, Darren Birch, to the role of marketing and CRM Manager, UK & Ireland.

Birch joined APT at the start of December, and his hire marks the latest investment in a strategic recruitment campaign that has seen the river cruise, yachting and touring specialist grow its UK headcount by 30 per cent in recent months.

Reporting to Katie Elson, head of marketing, Birch will oversee APT & Travelmarvel’s marketing and CRM team day-to-day, bringing the operator’s dynamic business-to-business and business-to-consumer campaigns and a suite of exciting new product to market in 2024, and designing activations to build brand recognition and equity.

With him, Birch brings a wealth of travel, cruise and agent-facing industry experience.

His impressive CV includes sales manager positions with Virgin Holidays, an eight-year tenure at Emerald Cruises as UK brand manager and global brand manager, and, most recently, an interim position with Travel Counsellors as customer marketing manager.

With this combination of experience, Birch has a keen understanding of the travel trade’s unique marketing needs.

Birch said: “Having watched APT evolve from a newly launched brand in the UK into a major player in the cruise and touring arena, I am excited to have joined such an ambitious and dynamic company.

“The marketing and CRM team has done a stellar job, and we have another exciting year ahead of us, thanks to the significant investment that APT & Travelmarvel is making into the diversity of its product, the elevation of its fleet, and the quality of support for the trade.

“I can’t wait to play my part in APT’s impressive trajectory towards becoming a household name.”

More Information

For more information about APT & Travelmarvel please visit the official site.