Journey Beyond announces five new appointments

Journey Beyond announced the addition of five new positions to its sales team as part of its ongoing global expansion initiative.

These five new roles will help cement its position as Australia’s leading experiential tourism company. 

Led by executive general manager for sales and partnerships Alicia Triggs, these appointments mark an exciting growth period for Journey Beyond and includes the company’s first in-market position in New Zealand, a significant step forward for the New Zealand market. 

Triggs said of the new appointments: “We’re excited to further expand our team and welcome four new members to the Journey Beyond family. These appointments are centred around Journey Beyond’s manifesto and guest promise, ‘we go further, to take you beyond’ and represent our commitment to building our trade partnerships on a global scale.” 

A fresh beginning

As part of this growth, after 21 years with Journey Beyond, Renee Cornelissen has returned to her international roots, taking on another newly created leadership role as group manager for international sales. 

Likewise, the new positions will drive greater awareness of Journey Beyond as the curator of Australia’s most memorable and iconic travel experiences, which will be further enhanced with new positions on the horizon including in-market presence in China and Japan. 

Triggs added: “We know that Journey Beyond delivers special and unique access, authentic and immersive experiences, and extraordinary service, and we want the world to know that, too.”

Who’s who?

Thomas Gentz, business development manager for New Zealand, brings in extensive senior travel management experience, having previously worked with some leading travel and tourism brands in New Zealand, including Air New Zealand, Back-Roads Touring, Travel Advocates and most recently Hurtigruten & HX-Hurtigruten Expeditions. Gentz looks forward to bringing a strong strategic focus to this new role and as Journey Beyond’s first ever in-market New Zealand BDM, will be instrumental in growing awareness of the company’s entire portfolio and supporting agents to continue building the market in New Zealand. 

Cara Toovey is the new group manager for national sales. With over 21 years of diverse experience in the tourism industry, Toovey previously held multiple leadership roles within the travel industry including nine years leading six business development managers across the SA/WA/NSW regions at Intrepid Travel. Following a brief hiatus from tourism, Toovey joined RAA Travel as Experienced Product Specialist for South Australia, where she fortified relationships with local partners and expanded the South Australian product portfolio. She now brings her extensive sales and management experience to build Journey Beyond’s National Sales team. 

Josh Basir is the new business development manager for ITOs and the Americas. He joins Journey Beyond from his previous role as National Sales Manager – Leisure & Wholesale at Minor Hotels (Oaks & Avani Hotel chains), where he excelled in managing a diverse portfolio of 63 Hotels, Resorts & Suites across Australia and New Zealand. Basir is enthusiastic about collaborating with and supporting Journey Beyond’s international sales team, utilising his experience and relationships to drive growth and innovation in North American markets. In addition to his role at Journey Beyond, he serves as the current Chair of SA’s Young Australian Tourism Export Council (YATEC). 

Leia Marras is Journey Beyond’s business development coordinator. She spent many years honing her customer service skills in the hospitality industry. Recently promoted internally from the Travel Centre, she has expertise in reservations, product knowledge and going above and beyond for her clients. Marras joins the Industry Sales Team after two years in the Travel Centre and has extensive knowledge across all Journey Beyond brands and experiences.