One of Australia’s fastest-growing travel companies, Travello, has appointed ex-Tourism Australia Boss Andrew McEvoy and ex-Virgin Velocity CEO Phil Gunter to key Board positions within the company. With a wealth of experience in the travel sector, both leaders will play an instrumental role in shaping the company’s global business growth strategy.
The appointment of Andrew McEvoy as Chairman of Travello and Phil Gunter as Board Director is a solid nod to Travello’s growing credibility within the market and will further enhance the company’s position as the innovation leader in Australia’s travel industry.
Andrew McEvoy is a highly respected travel industry veteran and served as CEO and Managing Director at Tourism Australia. He successfully led the organisation’s efforts to enhance its global reputation as a premier travel destination. Andrew’s strength in understanding the consumer intimately and vast experience in tourism, media, digital marketing and e-commerce makes him an ideal addition to Travello. His most notable accolades include doubling national tourism receipts in less than ten years through the Tourism 2020 strategy, which is a testament to his exceptional leadership skills and innovative thinking.
“I’m thrilled to be joining Travello. What excites me are the two visionary founders, Ryan and Mark, who have demonstrated a keen understanding of travellers and identified the perfect formula for meeting their needs. With an excellent platform already in place, I see enormous potential for Travello to scale up,” shares Mr McEvoy.
As a former executive at Virgin Australia and British Airways, Phil Gunter is backed by his growth experience in the travel and tech industry. He has been an advisor and investor at Travello since 2019 and holds leadership positions in various tech companies with a global reach. Having a deep understanding of startups and enterprise-level businesses, he has an aptitude for identifying and capitalising on emerging trends and opportunities.
“When I joined Travello years ago, I was impressed by their unique approach of bringing the traditional discovery of tours and activities into the digital age, enabling travellers to connect with like-minded individuals and share experiences. Travello is perfectly positioned to leverage the global trends of social commerce while also addressing the challenge of optimising capacity for experience providers,” shares Mr Gunter.
“Having been a part of the travel industry for many years, I have witnessed the evolution of trends and the challenges faced by businesses in the industry. The biggest challenge for Travello is deciding which opportunities to pursue. I am excited to be a part of this journey,” he adds.
Commenting on the appointment of the two executives, Travello CEO and Co-Founder Ryan Hanly says:
“We’re beyond thrilled to appoint Andrew and Phil as the newest members of the Travello leadership team. They both have a proven track record at the highest level, scaling travel and tech companies globally as well as offering a unique understanding on the evolving needs and behaviour of travellers. We look forward to working closely with both Phil and Andrew to execute on our strategic objectives and further accelerate our growth trajectory.”
The appointments come after the brand opened its first-ever bricks and mortar store. The concept store is located in Cairns and offers a unique opportunity for customers to sit inside a private jet experience modelled after a jet flown by Kim Kardashian.
Travello saw sales figures for this year across the Group increase by 240% yearly (to date), with overseas source countries’ sales surging by an incredible 600%. Additionally, multi-day sales have increased by 400%, and booking volumes are up 250% yearly (to date).