29 Apr 2014
Christopher Pickard is stepping down as the chairman of the Latin American Travel Association (LATA) and from the association's executive committee, a body on which he has served for 14 years, nine as deputy chairman and two as chairman.
Pickard will step down after the new LATA Executive Committee – which will be elected at the association's AGM on 19 May – meet and choose the new chairman and officers.
Pickard, who lived and worked in Brazil for 20 years, steps down at a time when LATA is registering record membership levels and revenues, and on the eve of Experience Latin America, a major new b2b show that is being launched by LATA on 16 June.
“I thought that if Sir Bruce (Forsyth) had decided to call time on Strictly, it might also be a good time for me to exit stage left from LATA and samba off into the sunset,” Pickard says.
“Happily we don't have any conscious uncoupling to do as I will still be around and the new chairman and officers can call on me at anytime if I can be of assistance to LATA or the membership. I will still be a member, if they will have me, and a trustee of the LATA Foundation.”
With LATA, its membership and finances in rude health, Pickard has no doubts that the new chair and executive committee will be able to continue the work of modernising and expanding the association and says that Experience Latin America will take LATA to a new level within the industry as the association will effectively control the major European based Latin American focused travel trade event.
Pickard said he felt he could step down now because LATA is in such good shape, and because he accepted that he needed to commit more time to other projects that were not LATA related. A film he developed and co-produced, “Rio 50 Degrees”, directed by Julien Temple, will air shortly on the BBC, while his web sites www.braziltheguide.com and www.worldcuptheguide.com have proved very popular with travellers heading to Brazil for the upcoming World Cup.
Pickard says he makes no claim to any legacy at LATA, although he did expand the executive committee and encourage the Latin American and overseas members to have a greater voice within LATA. He also helped establish the annual LATA reception with the All Party Parliamentary British-Latin American Group as a key date in London's Latin American calendar. In recent years the event – which is held in the Palace of Westminster and attended by most of the Latin American ambassadors in London – has seen LATA's annual Media Award presented to Michael Palin, Lily Cole and Jonathan Dimbleby.
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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.
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Experience Latin America by LATA
www.experiencelatinamerica.co.uk
Christopher Pickard
