Online voting for the LATA Committee Elections 2024 will be open between the 19th and 26th March. Each member organisation of LATA will have the opportunity to select up to three candidates from the list of nominees, to fill the three committee vacancies.
The candidates are:
Milly Alva Haimberger – Aqua Expeditions
Ask Milly about the Peruvian Amazon, Nazca Lines, Colca River Canyon, or the Sacred Valley, and watch her eyes light up. Twenty years after entering the South American luxury travel business, she is well versed in the ins-and-outs of travel to Peru and the Galapagos Islands. Beyond that, since the launch of Aqua Mekong and Aqua Blu in 2014 and 2019 respectively, Milly has added an expertise in Cambodia, Vietnam, and Indonesia, to her repertoire as well. Her first trip to Asia was in 1997.
As Global Director of Sales at Aqua Expeditions, the bilingual Lima native manages all aspects of the sales-trade relations for the leading small luxury expedition and yacht operator, leveraging her prior work experience at two of South America’s most respected destination management companies: South American Tours and Condor Travel. She was also a Director of APOTUR (The Peruvian Association of Receptive and Domestic Tourism Operators) and CANATUR (National Chamber of Tourism).
When she is not travelling around the world as one of the travel industry’s most influential advisors, Milly divides her time between her young family. She is passionate about reading and learning about history, geography and world politics.
Carmel Hendry – Explore Worldwide
I’ve been heading up the Americas programme at Explore Worldwide for the last 8 years, after a life of working, living and travelling around the continent. My first experience in Latin America was of living in Cuenca, Ecuador at the age of 18, and I’ve been a passionate advocate for all things Latin ever since. Working for a Tour Operator that operates worldwide gives me a global perspective from both a supplier and consumer perspective, allowing me to share commercial and operational insights from businesses and customers around the world.
Travel to Latin America will always be a big part of my life, and I’m particularly keen to see the area grow in a sustainable way – allowing travellers to experience its vast wealth of cultural and natural resources in a positive way that engages local people and communities. I’m a huge advocate for LATA’s history of collaboration – I believe that the membership is stronger together, and that when we improve sustainability or safety processes, and when positive news stories are put out about Latin American countries, the whole region wins. As a member of the LATA Committee, I’d be proud to put my efforts into helping Latin American travel thrive.
Natalia Bossio – INNOVART DMC
My passion is to travel, and I am delighted to receive people from all over the world to this astonished and remote region, South America. I love my region and I am excited to share it with intrepid passengers. I am proud to say that my passion is my work.
I am founder of INNOVART DMC for Argentina & Chile that was established in 2007. From the very south of the planet we have been receiving people from all over the world and we have the possibility to witness how everybody enjoy the nature and discover a new way of travel.
Now I have the opportunity to postulate as Lata Committee and I am exciting to share my professional experience with all our colleagues who love South America as I do.
Joaquin Ferreyros – Explorandes
After more than a decade immersed in various facets of the industry, including Product Development, Marketing, Communications, and Sales at Explorandes, I eagerly anticipate leveraging my unique perspective as a Peruvian native who splits time between Spain and Peru.
My roots in marketing extend over six years with Red Bull, though my connection to the adventure tourism sector traces back to my upbringing—my father founded the region’s first adventure company in 1975. This heritage positions Explorandes as a trailblazer in adventure tourism and as the inaugural South American company to attain an environmental management system ISO 14001 certification in 2002, a groundbreaking achievement within the tourism domain.
Building on this rich background, I am committed to infusing my expertise in sustainable product development with an intimate understanding of destination dynamics. This involves identifying the concerns of English-speaking clientele and translating them into actionable strategies applicable to the South American context.
I take pride in actively listening and collaborating with all my colleagues. I am eager to leverage these skills by contributing to the LATA committee, aiming to foster the growth of our industry.
Guillermo Savino – Estancia La Bamba De Areco
Working in different international companies and for more than 16 years in the hospitality business. I developed my passion and the knowledge in this industry welcoming guest from all around the world as a General Manager of Estancia La Bamba De Areco (Buenos Aires – Argentina), then on the Board of Destino Argentina and since the beginning of 2023 representing 32 properties as the Delegate of Relais & Chateaux for the Latin American region.
I believe that I’m are ready to represent the associates and to continue working as a team on different new projects, consolidating and expanding our base of incredible Latam properties.