Barbados Picks Thraenhart As New CEO
The Board of Directors of the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. has appointed Jens Thraenhart, as Chief Executive Officer of the island’s destination marketing agency, effective Nov. 1 2021.
Thraenhart, a tourism veteran of 26 years, emerged as the top candidate from an initial pool of 178 candidates of qualified professionals from around the world.
The list included 20 applications from Barbados and 27 from the wider Caribbean region.
The announcement will usher in a new era for the organization, one that will see the BTMI transition to a more commercial marketing enterprise, which is reshaping its operations to better compete in the new pandemic era of global tourism.
Thraenhart, is a German Canadian tourism practitioner, versed in global tourism strategy and execution, and leadership experience from North America to Asia, having worked for the Canadian Tourism Commission (now Destination Canada) and Fairmont Hotels & Resorts (now part of Accor), and most recently as Executive Director of the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office, appointed by the six member governments in Southeast Asia for four consecutive 2-year terms.
He is the second Vice Chair of the Affiliate Members Board of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and has served on industry boards including the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association (HSMAI), and the International Federation of IT and Travel & Tourism (IFITT), bringing key stakeholder relationships in key target markets for Barbados tourism.
