Industry veteran John Hanratty will step down as vice president of industry relations at Avanti Destinations at the end of the year, the Portland, Oregon-based tour operator announced.
Ken Pringle has been promoted from mountain west regional sales to director of national accounts, reporting to Gina Bang, Avanti's chief sales and marketing officer. Bang and Pringle will divide Hanratty's responsibilities.
Hanratty joined Avanti 11 years ago and helped strengthen the company's consortia and agency partnerships while serving on the USTOA board of directors, said Paul Barry, Avanti's CEO. Hanratty previously worked at Certified Vacations and Travel Impressions, where he was chief operating officer. He has served on the USTOA board for decades, including as chairman.
Pringle, based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, has been Avanti's mountain west regional sales director for 18 months. He previously worked at Avanti for 14 years in various positions, including director of reservations and call center manager, and later ran his own travel agency, Green Thumb Travel.
As director of national accounts, Pringle will work with Avanti's national accounts, including consortia and large host agencies, to develop strategic plans; coordinate with six regional sales directors on territory-specific outreach; and collaborate with internal teams to support national accounts initiatives.
Bang will handle preferred agreements, budgets, reporting, long-term strategy and marketing plans.
Avanti Destinations creates custom-crafted independent and group travel in Europe, Asia, North Africa, the Middle East, the South Pacific, and Central and South America, selling exclusively through travel advisors.
Editor's Note: This article was generated by AI, based on a press release distributed by Avanti Destinations. It was fact-checked and reviewed by a TravelAge West editor.
