Advisors

Christina built her business from scratch at the age of 18, and also pioneered a market sector; ‘Airport Concierge’. They now provide services in 500+ airports. She is also founding/shareholder of ‘Whitecar’ a Tesla hiring company that uses the best technology combined with the best customer service to deliver a car hire experience beyond expectation.

She’s also passionate about her charity work for the homeless.

An experienced, CIPD Qualified HR & Talent professional for over 25 years, Claire has worked with a range of companies including tour operators, airlines, associations, technology providers, travel management companies and OTAs.

She has a particular focus and passion for next generation talent. As well as her freelance work, Claire is the UK Director for the Global Travel and Tourism Partnership (www.gttp.org), an independent, not-for-profit organization, supported by global tourism organisations, which provides multi-country educational programs designed to introduce students to career opportunities within the Travel & Tourism industry particularly in countries where Travel & Tourism is an increasingly vital part of the economy.

Since 2005 she has been a Board Director of the Institute of Travel & Tourism and Chair of the ITT Education and Training Committee leading on a number of initiatives, including the ITT Future You and Student Ambassador programmes.

Claire is honoured to be an industry Ambassador for both the international water aid charity, Just a Drop, helping raise awareness and support of their vital work to provide safe, clean water for all and the UK charity, the Family Holiday Association, the only national charity dedicated to providing British seaside breaks and day trips for families struggling with some of the toughest challenges life can bring.

Every penny of profit earned by Charitable Travel, everything we do and everything we offer our customers, supports charity fundraising and good causes. We are a registered social enterprise and a financially protected travel agency. Our purpose and mission is to help you with your holiday plans and at the same time support the great work that UK-based charities deliver around the world. When you book a holiday or cruise with us, we sacrifice travel agency commission so you can make a free five percent donation to your choice of charity through our dedicated JustGiving website. We pride ourselves in offering travel expertise, a wide choice of holiday options, quality, great value and a unique way of creating travel-for-good for our customers as a true not-for-private-profit social enterprise.

To learn more about Charitable Travel, check out their website.

Born in Marrakech and educated in France and the UK, Zina Bencheikh started her career in finance before joining Intrepid as Finance Manager in Morocco in 2010. She has progressed rapidly through a number of financial and operational leadership roles with the company, and in 2020 was appointed EMEA Managing Director of Intrepid Travel. She is now responsible for achieving Intrepid’s dual goals of growth and balancing purpose and profit in the EMEA region.

Zina is driven by her passion for making the world a more inclusive and equal place. She has used the company’s global reach to create economic opportunities for women through tourism, breaking down gender barriers in countries where women have been traditionally excluded from paid work and equal access to education, such as Morocco.

Now regarded as one of Morocco’s leading advocates for gender equality, Zina’s work has been profiled by the BBC Travel Show, Skift, Forbes, amongst others.

Ed Lines is an Industry Manager working on Google’s UK Travel Team, specialising in the hospitality sector. He works with travel advertisers, helping them to identify trends in consumer behaviour and technology adoption and align their online advertising strategies.

Greether is the platform that helps women travel safer by connecting them local female Greeters around the world who they can book to navigate destinations.

Alessandra is the award-winning Founder and Managing Director of Women in Travel CIC, with more than 20 years; experience shaping the travel and tourism industry. A recognised leader in gender equity, inclusion and talent development, she has built a career at the intersection of commercial strategy and social impact.

She began her career in tourism at the European Commission before holding senior positions with the World Travel & Tourism Council and KPMG. Driven by a passion for creating more inclusive workplaces, she co-founded consultancy Shine and the Shine Awards for Women’s Achievement in Travel, Tourism and Hospitality in 2004, championing female talent across the sector long before diversity became a boardroom priority.

Today, Alessandra is recognised as one of the industry’s leading voices on gender equity, mentoring and inclusive leadership. She is a sought-after keynote speaker, trusted adviser and regular media contributor, working with organisations to unlock talent, drive cultural change and build more diverse, high-performing businesses. Her first book on growing a travel business through inclusion will be published in December 2026.

Elisa is a seasoned Community Tourism Consultant, Connector, and Storyteller with nearly 20 years of international experience in local Sustainable Development through tourism. Her expertise spans over 30 countries, where she has provided communication and marketing services in four languages, both virtually and on the ground.

Elisa’s innovative approach to storytelling has made her an invaluable consultant to tourism entrepreneurs, SMMEs, national Tourism Boards, NGOs, and private companies. She specializes in helping destinations highlight their positive impact stories and uncover the rich, often untold, cultural narratives of Indigenous communities.