TripAdvisor has announced the appointment of Helena Egan in the role of director, industry relations. 

In this newly created role, Egan will lead industry relations’ efforts within TripAdvisor for Business, a dedicated division that provides the tourism sector with free marketing tools and resources.

Egan will act as a liaison for hospitality trade associations and government organisations, building awareness about the benefits, resources, policies, products and services of TripAdvisor.

Egan joined TripAdvisor in 2008 as the first dedicated destination marketing specialist in Europe, covering Europe, Middle East and Africa.

In her five years at the company, her key focus has been building relationships within the DMO sector and educating the industry on the benefits of leveraging user-generated content.

As director of industry relations, Egan will act as an ambassador to the global hospitality sector, opening communication channels with leading trade and tourism associations.

“Helena is taking on the newly created role of director, industry relations and brings a wealth of travel and tourism sector experience to the team,” said Marc Charron, president, TripAdvisor for Business.

“Helena is a recognised name in the sector, having built partnerships with destination marketing organisations, government tourism bodies and travel associations.

“Her knowledge of the global travel industry will be invaluable as she builds lasting relationships with key trade partners.”

TripAdvisor for Business was launched in 2010, to listen to, communicate with and better serve the hospitality sector and travel industry.

Over that time, the division has seen rapid growth in the adoption rate of both paid products, such as Business Listings and TripConnect, and free marketing tools for hospitality businesses around the world.

Partnership opportunities with the wider travel industry have led to over 500 million people seeing TripAdvisor content on sites other than TripAdvisor every month.
“I’m excited to take on a dedicated industry relations role at TripAdvisor and to join the wider TripAdvisor for Business team,” said Egan.

“Industry outreach and education has always been an important focus of mine, both at TripAdvisor and in my previous positions.

“With the ubiquity of user-generated content and the growing importance of online reputation management for the hospitality sector, it’s paramount that there be an open channel of communication between business owners and online platforms such as TripAdvisor.

“I look forward to meeting with key opinion leaders and trade bodies to further understand how we can work together successfully.”