Tourism Flanders-Brussels is pleased to announce the appointment of Andrew Daines as its new UK Director, with immediate effect. Andrew replaces Pier Paolo Solinas as Director who announced his resignation a month ago. Andrew joins the organisation with a wealth of private and public sector experience in tourism spanning nearly 20 years.

After gaining an honours degree on Business and Tourism Management, Andrew spent two years working with outbound tour operators, firstly with Hayes and Jarvis, then with Inghams, before an eighteen month period with car rental broker Holiday Autos.  In 1997, Andrew joined the British Tourist Authority / English Tourist Board (trading as VisitBritain from 2003). During his 14 years there, Andrew worked in a number of areas of the organisation, including information management, tourism technology, commercial and marketing services and overseas operations. Andrew also represented VisitBritain on the European Travel Commission’s Marketing and Technology Network, where he held positions of both vice-chair and chair.

He left VisitBritain in March 2011, and undertook freelance work within the travel and tourism sector for a broad range of organisations in the UK and overseas. Andrew is a member of the Tourism Management Institute (TMI), The Tourism Society and the European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT).

Of his new appointment, Andrew commented “I am delighted to have been appointed Director at Tourism Flanders-Brussels. In the coming months, I look forward to forging new relationships with industry professionals to promote the popular and culturally diverse cities of Flanders and Brussels. Events such as the commemoration of the Great War Centenary in 2014 will bring special focus to the region and provide opportunities and unique experiences for the industry and consumers alike. The region is principally endowed with a culture for warm hospitality, gastronomic merit and architectural excellence and I look forward with great enthusiasm to my new role in the organisation.”