C. I. Travel Group is delighted to welcome Lydia Smith to the role of General Manager - Channel Islands Outbound. In this newly created role, Lydia will manage the development of C. I. Travel Group's Bontour brand and work alongside the FlyDirect team to further grow the success of this brand.
Originally from Leeds, Lydia is a graduate of Sheffield University and has lived in Jersey for the past six years.
Lydia has extensive experience in the hospitality industry, having spent ten years with Radisson Blu Hotels in Leeds, the Costa del Sol and Jersey. Lydia's time with Radisson Blu included reservations, events, and sales and marketing. Her last role with the company was in Jersey, spending five years as Director of Sales & Marketing for the Radisson Blu Waterfront Hotel in St. Helier. In this role, Lydia was responsible for growing and developing the business and revenues across the hotel’s products - including rooms, events and dining - to feeder markets in UK and Europe, for corporate and leisure business. More recently, Lydia spent six months as Commercial Development Manager (maternity cover) for the Jersey Conference Bureau, working with businesses and partners in government and private sectors to bring meetings and incentives into Jersey, for the benefit of the local economy.
Commenting on her appointment, Lydia said "I’m looking forward to working with such exciting and well reputed brands, helping develop both the Bontour and FlyDirect products. This is a fantastic opportunity to work with a strong and dynamic team bringing my experience to the on-going successes of C. I. Travel Group."
Lydia is a self-confessed travel addict, having spent six months during the last year travelling around Asia. She speaks fluent Spanish and is furiously learning French in preparation for her new role, exploring business opportunities across the Channel and beyond.
"I am delighted to welcome Lydia to our team" commented Robert Mackenzie, Managing Director of C. I. Travel Group. "She is well known and respected by those connected to the tourism industry in Jersey and will bring a new energy and focus to the marketing of our ex-Channel Islands brands of Bontour and FlyDirect."
