The company said Parton, formerly head of sales for Cosmos and Avalon Waterways, had in close to a year “helped to build a loyal community of agents, partners and customers and drove significant traffic and leads through strategic sales initiatives”.

Parton also played an “integral role” in communicating the escorted tour operator’s rebrand to the travel trade earlier as well as targeting new markets for river line Avalon Waterways, Cosmos added.

Giles Hawke, chief executive of Cosmos and Avalon Waterways, said: “During her tenure as head of sales, Janet displayed outstanding leadership abilities, an enthusiasm for sales, a passion for cruising and touring holidays and extensive product knowledge.

“She has played a vital role in developing and strengthening our trade network and in growing the Cosmos and Avalon brands in the UK. Her genuine spirit and wealth of expertise are essential during this next period of exponential growth for us.”

Parton who has more 20 years’ experience working in sales, including holding senior sales positions at Carnival UK and MSC Cruises, leads Cosmos’s team of three trade account managers.

Among them is the newly appointed Danielle Radford who will cover the north of England having previously held roles with Thomas Cook and Balkan Holidays.

She joins trade account managers Anna Hall and Kelly Calver.

Parton added: “Cosmos and Avalon truly value the importance of agent business. We know that travel agents will always be an integral part of consumers’ booking processes in the UK.

“Our team is devoted to fostering strong and long-lasting relationships with the trade and to provide the best in class service, product training and sales tools.”