Salli Felton, the current chief executive, is stepping down after almost six years at the helm, in order to relocate back to her native Australia due to a family illness.

The Travel Foundation’s chair of trustees, Noel Josephides, said: “Salli is a strong leader, who has grown and shaped the organisation to firmly establish the Travel Foundation at the forefront of sustainable tourism globally.

“We believe in stretching ourselves and have set ambitious targets to grow our partnerships and programmes accordingly. As a result, we are looking for an exceptional candidate who will nurture a high-performance culture and enable the Travel Foundation to achieve its potential.”

With its head office in Bristol, the Travel Foundation works internationally to improve the impacts of tourism, bringing greater benefits for people and the environment in destinations.

Felton will remain with the organisation until the summer to help facilitate a smooth transition.

Josephides continued: “This is an exciting time to join the charity, as there is considerable opportunity to capitalise and build on new research findings, launching new charitable initiatives that will benefit destination communities and environments, holidaymakers and the travel industry.

“The right candidate will be leading a friendly, passionate and skilled executive team of 18, motivating them to engage and increase our partnerships, and develop and deliver programmes that unlock the positive potential of tourism. We feel this is a truly exceptional opportunity for a talented individual to make their mark.”

The Foundation is looking for someone with proven experience in the field of sustainable tourism and leadership, some of which will have been gained in a corporate environment.