Smith will take up a business development executive role with Cara, the representation agency for AMR Collection in the UK and Ireland. She joined Blue Bay as a sales advisor in 2014 before heading first to Polka Dot Travel and then Palladium Hotel Group as a business development manager.
Smith rejoined Blue Bay in March 2021 as trade support team leader before being promoted to BDM. In this role, she managed Blue Bay’s in-house trade support team and its efforts to grow sales through agents.
Blue Bay said she also played a "pivotal" role in launching Blue Bay Hotels, and accommodation-only service design to help more agents sell its directly-contracted hotel product.
A search is under way for her replacement, with Clare Wilson – Blue Bay head of operations – serving as an interim point of contact for the trade.
“We’ll be very sad to see Tasha go, but we know she’s a pure BDM at heart and this move will allow her to focus all her energy on that," said Blue Bay chief executive Alistair Rowland.
"I would like to thank Tasha for her considerable effort and achievement in developing relationships with the Midcounties Co-operative agents we have an exclusive partnership with, as well as the more than 100 new trade agents who sell our Blue Bay Hotels product.”
Wilson said: “Tasha has been a great asset to my team and played an integral part in the set-up of the trade support team. I’d like to thank her for her dedication and enthusiasm over the past 12 months and we wish her the best of luck in her new role.”
Lauren Mack, Cara Hotel Marketing business development manager, said she had been impressed by Tasha’s work with the trade, adding she looked forward to her bringing her enthusiasm and passion for travel to the role.
"I’m looking forward to having Tasha’s support in driving the business development strategy forward," said Mack.
