Sam Seward, previously managing director of Gullivers Sports Travel and Travelopia’s schools travel business, takes over from Pete Burrell, who retires in the spring after a handover period.

Seward said: “I want to pay tribute to Pete for his contribution to adventure travel. His are big shoes to fill.”

Seward said he was keen to move across the Travelopia portfolio “to get my teeth into something new”. He said the Exodus team was “a very inspiring team to be around” and that he was impressed with the brand’s ethos: “Being a responsible business is not just rhetoric with Exodus.”

Seward said the Exodus product range was so extensive that he did not plan major changes, but was keen to reintroduce Zimbabwe. “There is big demand for it, it will hopefully return to prominence,” he said.

He added: “If I have one particular interest it’s going to be investing in our systems to better serve and understand our customers.

“One thing that really stands out with Exodus is how loyal the customers are. The feedback scores are really strong. It’s very exciting.”