Culture Trip is being joined by industry luminary Andy Washington to drive the launch of its new online travel booking division.

Washington, former chief executive of dnata, joins a roster of recent senior hires which Culture Trip confirmed in April as it announced $80 million in Series B funding to aggressively grow the business across all areas, alongside a company re-brand.

He has extensive experience of online travel having previously also held the role of managing director at Expedia Northern Europe.

Washington has also worked for Cosmos, Lastminute.com, Thomas Cook and the Emirates Group. 

He starts his new role as senior vice president, travel, immediately and will report directly to Culture Trip’s recently appointed chief operating officer Jeff Szczepanski.

Leading a talented and growing team, including travel sales directors Sabina Shaida and James Williams, Washington will develop Culture Trip’s future online travel booking division.

Leveraging the award-winning content which it produces across its successful website and app, the company will connect hand-picked boutique and lifestyle hotels, independent hotels, hostels and experience providers with its rapidly rising millennial following.

Culture Trip uses creativity and technology to inspire and enable people to explore culture around the world.

The company’s vision is to bring the world to everyone and in doing so bring us all closer together.

Washington said: “Culture Trip’s inspirational content has location at its heart, the local knowledge of its global network of contributors’ means it can uniquely get under the skin of a place and tap into the zeitgeist for truly authentic experiences.

“The scale and engagement of its existing audience means it offers an enviable connection to hard-to-reach discerning millennials and I believe it will be a game changer in the travel industry for hotels and tourist boards looking to acquire and motivate new visitors.”