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Travel trade photographer dies after contracting Covid-19
World Travel Market has paid tribute to industry photographer Alastair McDavid, who has died three weeks after contracting Covid-19.
Alastair was well-known in the travel industry and was the owner of Digital Asset Lab, the company responsible for the WTM Portfolio’s Media Libraries. Previously, he ran Thistle Photography, which worked extensively on travel trade photoshoots.
He died on Thursday, April 30.
WTM press and PR manager Natalia Hartmann said: "On behalf of the WTM Portfolio team and WTM photographers, we want to express our most sincere sympathies.
"Alastair was a highly valuable and respected professional, and the effects of his passing are already being felt here by us.
"He was a fantastic photographer, manager and entrepreneur who understood the meaning of the word ‘team’.
"Alastair was the glue that stuck the WTM photographers together and made for a lovely collegiate atmosphere. He will be very sadly missed, and WTM will not be the same without him.
"He made many significant contributions to the way the WTM Portfolio store images. He helped the marketing, public relations, conference and photography teams move forward in numerous ways giving his opinions before, during and after the exhibitions.
"For those of us that had the privilege of calling him ‘friend’ outside of work, we were humbled by his kindness and compassion to everyone around him.
"He will be greatly missed, and his death saddens everyone here.
"Our sincere condolences for the family. Alastair was a remarkable man."
Fellow photographer Matt Sprake said: "Alistair was a good man, always happy to help and will be sadly missed. WTM will never be the same again."
Lisa
Lisa joined Travel Weekly nearly 25 years ago as technology reporter and then sailed around the world for a couple of years as cruise correspondent, before becoming deputy editor. Now freelance, Lisa writes for various print and web publications, edits Corporate Traveller’s client magazine, Gateway, and works on the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of photography books, which raise awareness of nature’s most at-risk species and helps to fund their protection.
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