Tait, who will be based in London and serve the UK and Europe, brings with him experience in stakeholder management and sales growth, joining from InsideJapan Tours and InsideAsia Tours parent Inside Travel Group.

Jos Dewing, managing director EMEA for AE Expeditions, said: "Andrew is known in the industry for being enthusiastic and passionate about travel, and alongside his excellent personal and presentation skills, I am sure he will be a great asset to the UK and greater Aurora team."

Reporting to Dewing, Tait will be responsible for initiating and cultivating industry relationships, establishing new partnerships, and identifying opportunities with indirect channels, as well as offering sales training and agency support.

Tait said: "Customer satisfaction and relationship building are of paramount importance to the team at AE Expeditions.

"Alongside the highly experienced EMEA sales team, I will use my skills and experience in stakeholder management, and my passion for nature and the natural world, to grow our market share in a trustworthy, reliable and solid manner."

AE Expeditions was on Monday confirmed as one of the founder members of the Expedition Cruise Network.