UKinbound chief executive Mary Rance, is to leave the organisation at the end of the year to head up the charity Contact the Elderly.
Originally trained as a lawyer, Rance has a background of working with trade associations, including a period as director at the CBI, although immediately before joining UKinbound she worked as chief executive of the charity Toc H.
She joined UKinbound in 2008 and is credited with transforming and repositioning the Association into one of the leading trade bodies in tourism and the only trade body to represent inbound tourism to the UK.
" Naturally I am sad to be leaving UKinbound but glad to be leaving the organisation in such good shape," she said.
"When I joined the organisation I developed an ambitious growth strategy, a plan to double the membership, increase our influence and enhance the business benefits for our membership, all of which have been achieved or on track.
"I have loved being a part of the travel industry and will miss it but I believe my future now lies in the charitable sector."
UKinbound’s chairman Rita Beckwith said: "We are sad to be saying goodbye to Mary who has done a wonderful job at the helm of UKinbound these past five years.
"She leaves our organisation in superb shape in terms of membership satisfaction and industry influence and she has driven a political lobbying campaign that has made the voice of inbound tourism heard in Westminster.
"We have a business plan in place to further growth and the hunt is now on for her successor."
Beckwith said the successful applicant will act as the main adviser to the Board on all matter of association policy and will lead the association on a day-to-day basis.
Inbound tourism is now one of the largest industries in the UK. It employs 2.7 million people, one in 11 of all people employed in the UK and generates £136 billion in revenue for the economy.
"It is crucial that our new chief executive continues to raise the profile of inbound tourism in the UK; generating positive awareness across the media, political and other key influencing group," added Beckwith.
