The Travel Foundation

Our UK Team

•     Sue Hurdle - Chief Executive
•     Beth Wilson - Programmes Officer
•     David Cowell - Head of Fundraising
•     David Weston - Company Secretary
•     Faith Hammond - Administration Officer
•     Georgina Davies - Public Relations Manager (on maternity leave)
•     Graeme Jackson - Public Relations Manager
•     Jane Coles - Communications Manager
•     Julie Middleton - Industry Programmes Manager
•     Louise Ganfield - Communications Officer
•     Rachel James - Programmes Officer
•     Salli Felton - Head of Programmes
•     Stuart Woodham - Environment Manager
•     Suzie Newham - Industry Programmes Officer
•     Tess Forgan - Business Manager
•     Wendy Moore - Programmes Advisor

Sue Hurdle - Chief Executive

I am the lucky one who has had the privilege of creating and leading The Travel Foundation. My career began with Thomas Cook, who in 1993 sponsored me to study for a Masters degree in "Tourism & Social Responsibility". The experience made me determined to persuade the UK's leading travel companies that Corporate Responsibility really is good for business. A bit of a tall order back then! To cut a long story short, it took 5 years of discussions, supported by a variety of organisations, from the charity, Action for Conservation through Tourism, to ABTA and the Foreign Office, but in 2003 the idea came to life and The Travel Foundation was launched - the world's first industry partnership to help companies put sustainable tourism into practice. I am extremely proud to have been able to play my part in making this happen - and most grateful to the enlightened travel organisations that helped make it a reality.
 

 

 

Beth Wilson - Programmes Officer

I have been working for the Travel Foundation since November 2008. My interest in sustainable travel first started because of my love to travel. Having been round the world on a gap year I decided if I couldn’t stay away travelling then the best thing to do would be to come back and study it! After completing a degree in Sustainable Tourism and spending more time exploring the world, I went to work for a tour operator where I got a great insight into the industry. Using this experience I have come to the Travel Foundation and I now work on the programmes team managing our projects in Sri Lanka as well as tailoring plans and developing tools for our industry partners. Working at the Travel Foundation is a dream job for me. All of my travels abroad have made me see the effects that tourism can have, good and bad, and so I really feel passionately about helping the destinations we visit benefit from our travels.

 

 

 

David Cowell - Head of Fundraising

As a post war baby boomer I enjoyed all the freedoms that the '60s offered. I travelled extensively and aspired to be a writer but this was put on the back burner when I met Sue, my wife of 37 years, and we raised our three sons. I went on to pursue a career in various industries before I finally "retired” from my job as Sales and Marketing Director at Holiday Extras at the age of 58. A lifelong passion for human rights, conservation and environmental issues plus experience in partnership management made me an ideal candidate for the Foundation's role of Head of Corporate Partnerships. Having sat round a Board table and tried to balance all the demands placed on limited resources, I know the problems faced by even the most progressive company but the Travel Foundation can provide simple but effective yet pragmatic solutions and support. I am proud that the Foundation's income has gone through the million pound barrier but I am only too aware that there is a lot more work to be done throughout the world.
 

David Weston - Company Secretary

I have been Company Secretary since 2005, supporting Sue and the trustees, on a part-time basis. My background is in tour operating, where I created and built the “Great Escapes” short breaks brand to a 17% market share. We were proud the business won an "Indy 100" award for sustained growth & profitability. I spent 15 years specialising in the holidays to France market, which was great fun and introduced me to Corsica, a wonderful and unspoilt island where we still go for family beach holidays. I have never managed to raise my French above "menu" level though! Outside the Foundation, I have another "hat" as Chief Executive of the Bed and Breakfast Association, the UK trade association for the B&B sector. I am lucky enough to live in the beautiful Dorset town of Sherborne, which boasts two castles, a lake and an Abbey founded in AD705 (and where I chair the local Tourism Forum). When I can get away, it is ideally for a week of (unsteady) skiing and (steady) eating and drinking.

Faith Hammond - Administration Officer

I joined the Travel Foundation at the beginning of 2012 as Administration Officer. My background is in secretarial/admin work and this is the first time I’ve worked with the travel industry. I’m originally from Canada but have lived in the UK for 13 years with one year spent living in the Netherlands. Whilst I haven’t done a great deal of travelling, I have enjoyed living in and visiting different areas of the UK. This is my first time working in a charity and it’s really exciting to work with people who are so passionate about what they do. I’m enjoying learning a lot and being able to support everyone here in their work.
 

Georgina Davies - Public Relations Manager (currently on maternity leave)

I joined the Travel Foundation at the beginning of June 2009 as PR Manager. My main responsibility is to raise awareness of the Travel Foundation externally, highlighting our achievements and how the travel industry and holiday-makers can get involved in sustainable tourism initiatives.  The role is a new one and heralds an exciting new era for the organisation, bringing fresh opportunities to promote sustainable travel to a wider audience. Previously, I worked for the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society as their Communications Manager, where I helped promote campaigns and conservation projects for nearly seven years. Prior to that, I worked in marketing and communications, first for the BBC and then within the insurance industry. I believe that working for an organisation which brings about change to help others and to protect the environment is a real privilege, and I am extremely proud now to be part of such a successful team at the Travel Foundation, working for such an important cause.
 

Graeme Jackson - Public Relations Manager

I am the Travel Foundation’s PR Manager. I help to communicate the great work being done by the Travel Foundation and its partners and I’m the main point of contact for any media enquiries. Before joining the Travel Foundation, I worked in PR agencies for almost 10 years, learning my trade on many consumer, business-to-business, governmental and third-sector accounts.  I have a passion for travel and the environment and enjoy exploring new places and experiencing unfamiliar cultures. Throughout my working life, I have been lucky enough to have visited many countries and to have seen for myself the (good and bad) impacts of tourism on the people and places we visit. I have also spent time working with community and conservation projects in deprived areas of Madagascar, which was a humbling and rewarding experience, showing me first-hand the importance of protecting finite resources and the natural environment for future generations.  I truly believe in the goals and values of the Travel Foundation and feel privileged to be playing a part in helping to educate the travel industry and UK holidaymakers about the many benefits of sustainable tourism.

 

Jane Coles - Communications Manager

I was involved in setting up The Travel Foundation and worked for ACT (Action for Conservation through Tourism) before that, so have been working in communications in sustainable tourism from 1999. I am passionate about the cause and the need to get the message over in a simple and engaging way. Current responsibilities include overall communications strategy and development of tools and messaging – including the Insider Guide range, website and supplier sustainability tools e.g. sustainable accommodations and snowsports. I previously worked within Hewlett-Packard Ltd in a variety of marketing & communication roles, the last one being PR & Events Manager for their European Marketing Centre. It’s much more satisfying working on sustainable tourism! I’m proud of some of the tools I’ve created to help the travel industry understand and be inspired by sustainable tourism – in particular the www.maketravelgreener.com quiz.

 

Julie Middleton - Industry Programmes Manager

I am the Industry Programmes Manager for the Travel Foundation so I am the main point of contact for tour operators. It’s an extremely varied job and I love it. I’ve been in travel for over 10 years, and sustainability has always been at the heart of the companies I’ve worked for. I have a great network in the industry having sat on the Friends of Conservation Travel and Tourism Committee and the LATA Committee. It really helps because I am often able to “see things from the other side” and know all of the frustrations that can arise through tour operating. Travel is a great passion of mine but every day in this job I am made more and more aware of my responsibilities as a traveller. We read a lot about carbon emissions caused by air travel but we must also remember that tourism brings great benefits to people and environments and in some cases has saved species from extinction. There is a lot of good that can come from tourism and the Travel Foundation is here to help make a difference; our Maasai Villages project in Kenya is a prime example of this.

 

 

 

Louise Ganfield - Communications Officer

I joined the Travel Foundation in December 2009, after working in destination marketing. For as long as I can remember I have wanted to work in the tourism industry, and my interest in sustainable tourism really began whilst studying for my degree in International Business and Tourism. During this time, I studied in Valencia, Spain for a year- a country whose economy is largely dependant on tourism, and it was here that my understanding of tourism from a destination community perspective grew. My role at the Travel Foundation is a mixed one, from managing the organisation's websites, to organising events and developing tools for industry change- no two days are the same and my feet have barely touched the ground since I started!

 

 

Salli Felton - Head of Programmes

Having joined the Travel Foundation in 2011 as Head of Programmes, I am one of the newer members of the team.  With an environmental science background I’ve spent the past 15 years working across a variety of industry sectors in Australia, and more recently in the UK. Working with companies requiring close liaison with Australian Aborigines, it became apparent very early in my career that environmental and social issues went hand in hand. My focus has therefore been on working with companies to recognise and address the social and environmental impacts of their activities in a manner that results in long term, positive change to the way in which they operate. On arriving in the UK I moved into the travel and tourism sector, and now as Head of Programmes at the Travel Foundation, I am extremely excited to be able to apply my skills and experience within an industry that has always been so close to my heart.

 

Stuart Woodham - Environment Manager

I am the Travel Foundation’s Environment Manager.  I develop and look after our water, energy and waste projects and I’ll be broadening out that programme over the coming years.  Prior to joining the Travel Foundation I worked as an environmental consultant for over 10 years, helped along with a first degree in environmental science and a master’s degree in environmental economics.  During that time I worked with clients in many sectors of the economy and with government.  My main areas of expertise are in corporate sustainability, waste management, resource efficiency, environmental audit, carbon foot printing, contaminated land and environmental law.  I have worked on projects across the UK, Europe and the USA.  In my new role at the Travel Foundation I am looking forward to helping maximise the benefits tourism can bring to holiday destinations.  When not working hard to improve the environment, I can mostly be found enjoying the great outdoors, preferably whilst moving at high speed - either screaming down the face of an ocean wave on a surfboard or, when the waves are flat, hurtling down a bumpy trail on a mountain bike.

Rachel James - Programmes Officer

I have been working for the Travel Foundation as Programmes Officer since January 2007. After 6 years working as a tour guide doing hiking and wildlife tours in Latin America I began to consider the impacts of tourism and wanted to work more with communities helping then to get the most out of tourism. While managing a Mexican non profit organisation I worked with Lacandon Indians who live in the jungle of Chiapas, helping them to better understand the impacts of tourism and developing a small scale sustainable tourism initiative. After being away for 8 years I decided to come back to the UK. I registered my CV and within a week of being back I received the job description from the Travel Foundation. I really feel as though it was fate that brought me to this job. It is exactly what I was hoping for and came to me without me even looking. I currently manage a number of our overseas destinations and particularly enjoy the overseas travel where I can see the difference our projects are really making on the ground.

 

Tess Forgan - Business Manager

I have been with the Foundation since 2004, starting in an admin role before taking on the finances and progressing as the organisation has grown to become Business Manager. My experience of sustainable tourism prior to this role was limited to just personal travel experience, but through this job I’ve learnt so much and I continue to learn more and more every week. The role is challenging but ultimately very enjoyable and fulfilling. My main role is managing the organisation’s accounts and helping our overseas teams to manage theirs, but I also assist in overseeing our events and our head office, as well as providing support to the team as & when needed.

Wendy Moore - Programmes Advisor

I started working for the Travel Foundation when it was set up in 2003, after spending a number of years working and travelling abroad. I have an MSc in sustainable tourism, have lectured in tourism in both colleges and universities, been involved in research projects, worked as an adventure tour leader and set up a community-based tourism business in Thailand. My work for the Travel Foundation has involved setting up and managing a number of our overseas programmes, as well as running our External Grants Programme. I’m very proud of the work we’ve done to help support and create new livelihoods for communities. As Programmes Advisor, I provide technical support to the Programmes team and ensure that our projects are developed and implemented to achieve maximum impact.

 

Suzie Newham - Industry Programmes Officer

I joined the Travel Foundation at the beginning of April 2011 as Industry Programmes Officer. Having always been involved in travel and adventure, and with an undergraduate degree was in Adventure Tourism Management, I spent a number of years working between Cornwall (my adopted home county) and travelling abroad as a chalet host, outdoor instructor and expedition trip leader before settling in North Wales for three years as a schools expedition manager. Conscious of the impact travel and tourism can have on local people and environments, and wanting to learn more, I completed a part-time MSc in Responsible Tourism Management. During my masters I spent two and a half years as sustainability manager for two independent hotels in Cornwall. I am delighted to be able to combine my love of travel, background in coordinating meaningful expeditions and firsthand experience of the sustainability challenges facing tourism companies in this new role at the Travel Foundation.