The Latin American Travel Association (LATA), the travel trade organisation that promotes travel to the many diverse and exotic destinations of Latin America, has announced that Byron Shirto has been elected chairman. 

Byron has sat on the executive committee of LATA for three years and has served as honorary secretary for the past two years and succeeds Chris Pickard who has stepped down after two years at the helm.

Byron, who is a director of Talking Stick Marketing and Communications, has accumulated a wealth of tourism knowledge in the past 18 years and has both inbound operations and outbound sales and marketing experience. He spent several years in the field with leading DMCs specialising in adventure travel, photographic safaris and event management. He then worked for luxury tour operator Abercrombie & Kent in the UK for nine years and was jointly responsible for sales, marketing and product development for Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa, travelling extensively to these destinations.

Byron Shirto said: “I am delighted to take on the role of LATA chairman and my thanks and those of the entire LATA membership go to Chris Pickard who has led the organisation so well the past two years. It's a very exciting time to take on the challenge with LATA launching its dedicated trade show, Experience Latin America, later this month.

“My mission is for LATA to be recognised as the authoritative voice for travel to Latin America and with the collective voice and unique set of experience and expertise from its 18-person strong committee we are in a position to offer this voice.

“I will be encouraging wider engagement with the travel community reaching sectors currently not widely represented, including travel agents and the MICE and cruise industries. The organisation will also be stepping up its lobbying activity - cultivating dialogue with tourism ministers, authorities and associations to ensure Latin America is on their agendas.”

Byron Shirto is also a Trustee for the LATA Foundation, a UK registered charity supporting projects in Mexico, Central and South America.

Other LATA officers newly elected to the executive committee are Sue Faithful of the Brazilian Chamber of Commerce who is vice chairman; Inkaterra's Liza Masias who becomes honorary secretary and Lesley Roberts is appointed treasurer.

-Ends-

For further media information on LATA, or to contact its members for information or to request press visits please contact Steele Paulich / Jane Richards pr@lata.org or call 020 7326 9880.

About LATA
The Latin American Travel Association (LATA) is a travel trade organisation that was founded to promote travel to the many diverse and exotic destinations of Latin America. LATA brings together over 250 companies, including tourist boards, tour operators, hotels, wholesalers, media, and airlines. Members offer many ways to discover the gems of the region, with accommodation options ranging from velvet-lined luxury to threadbare hammocks. LATA also promotes charitable work in the region through its sister organisation the LATA Foundation (www.latafoundation.org). 

LATA fact box for stories on Latin America
LATA offers comprehensive information on destinations, tour operators, airlines, and hotels for travellers to the region on any budget. Please tell your readers about LATA, by including fact box information with stories on the region.
Visit the LATA website (www.lata.org) for more information on travel in Latin America, or to request a full colour guide to the region. LATA is also now on twitter - @LATA_PR while Experience Latin America can be followed @ELA_by_LATA.
LATA's Facebook page is:
www.facebook.com/LatinAmericanTravelAssociation

Experience Latin America by LATA
www.experiencelatinamerica.co.uk

Enter the Travel Writer of the Year Awards in 2015
Entries for the LATA Travel Writer of the Year Awards are accepted throughout the year. For more information on how to enter, please visit www.lata.org/press.php

THE Latin American Travel Association (LATA), the travel trade organisation that promotes travel to the many diverse and exotic destinations of Latin America, has announced that Byron Shirto has been elected chairman. 

Byron has sat on the executive committee of LATA for three years and has served as honorary secretary for the past two years and succeeds Chris Pickard who has stepped down after two years at the helm.

Byron, who is a director of Talking Stick Marketing and Communications, has accumulated a wealth of tourism knowledge in the past 18 years and has both inbound operations and outbound sales and marketing experience. He spent several years in the field with leading DMCs specialising in adventure travel, photographic safaris and event management. He then worked for luxury tour operator Abercrombie & Kent in the UK for nine years and was jointly responsible for sales, marketing and product development for Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa, travelling extensively to these destinations.

Byron Shirto said: “I am delighted to take on the role of LATA chairman and my thanks and those of the entire LATA membership go to Chris Pickard who has led the organisation so well the past two years. It's a very exciting time to take on the challenge with LATA launching its dedicated trade show, Experience Latin America, later this month.

“My mission is for LATA to be recognised as the authoritative voice for travel to Latin America and with the collective voice and unique set of experience and expertise from its 18-person strong committee we are in a position to offer this voice

“I will be encouraging wider engagement with the travel community reaching sectors currently not widely represented, including travel agents and the MICE and cruise industries. The organisation will also be stepping up its lobbying activity - cultivating dialogue with tourism ministers, authorities and associations to ensure Latin America is on their agendas.”

Byron Shirto is also a Trustee for the LATA Foundation, a UK registered charity supporting projects in Mexico, Central and South America.

Other LATA officers newly elected to the executive committee are Sue Faithful of the Brazilian Chamber of Commerce who is vice chairman; Inkaterra's Liza Masias who becomes honorary secretary and Lesley Roberts is appointed treasurer.

-Ends-

For further media information on LATA, or to contact its members for information or to request press visits please contact Steele Paulich / Jane Richards pr@lata.org or call 020 7326 9880.

About LATA

The Latin American Travel Association (LATA) is a travel trade organisation that was founded to promote travel to the many diverse and exotic destinations of Latin America. LATA brings together over 250 companies, including tourist boards, tour operators, hotels, wholesalers, media, and airlines. Members offer many ways to discover the gems of the region, with accommodation options ranging from velvet-lined luxury to threadbare hammocks. LATA also promotes charitable work in the region through its sister organisation the LATA Foundation (www.latafoundation.org). 

LATA fact box for stories on Latin America

LATA offers comprehensive information on destinations, tour operators, airlines, and hotels for travellers to the region on any budget. Please tell your readers about LATA, by including fact box information with stories on the region.

Visit the LATA website (www.lata.org) for more information on travel in Latin America, or to request a full colour guide to the region. LATA is also now on twitter - @LATA_PR while Experience Latin America can be followed @ELA_by_LATA.

LATA's Facebook page is:

www.facebook.com/LatinAmericanTravelAssociation

Experience Latin America by LATA

www.experiencelatinamerica.co.uk

Enter the Travel Writer of the Year Awards in 2015

Entries for the LATA Travel Writer of the Year Awards are accepted throughout the year. For more information on how to enter, please visit www.lata.org/press.php