Hotelplan UK, parent company of specialist tour operators Inghams, Inntravel, Esprit Ski, Ski Total, Santa’s Lapland, Explore and Regaldive, announced today two changes to its UK management board.

With effect from 1st May 2017, current Group CEO, Andy Perrin, will move from his existing full-time CEO role to the part-time position of Chairman of the UK group. Stepping up from his current position as Chief Operating Officer with Hotelplan UK, Paul Carter will then take over as CEO from 1st May 2017.

“This is very much a case of evolution, not revolution”, commented Perrin. “I’ve had seven challenging but fantastically enjoyable years as CEO, during which we have pulled away from the aftermath of the banking crash to build the successful and growing family of specialists that Hotelplan UK is today. Now I feel it’s time to address that notoriously tricky ‘work/life balance’, and to pass the baton on to Paul and our strong, experienced management team. I look forward to continued close involvement as Chairman with the team and the business, and to supporting them in our ambitions for further growth and development.”

Paul Carter has been with Hotelplan UK since September 2015. Previously COO at RCI and with MD experience at Canvas Holidays (both part of the Wyndham Worldwide Group), he has been in the tour operating and hospitality sectors all his life.

“It has been hugely exciting over the last 18 months to come back into the world of genuinely specialist tour operating” said Carter, “and I am relishing the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for our Group over the coming years. We have a wonderful team of people and some really rich and deep industry experience here, and I can’t wait to see all that we will achieve together over the coming years.”

Hotelplan Group CEO, Thomas Stirnimann, commented: “We owe huge thanks to Andy Perrin for his fantastic work this last seven years, and are delighted that he will be continuing with us as Hotelplan UK Chairman. We are equally happy to be able to appoint a successor in Paul Carter, who in the last 18 months has already made a significant contribution to the positive development of Hotelplan UK. We wish both our colleagues all the best for a smooth handover, and continued success for all our UK team!”