Evelyn Lafone, currently Switzerland Tourism’s head of trade for Germany, will take up her new role on 1 August.

Lafone has previously work across a number of different regions for the tourism board - including market manager of Australia and in the same role focusing on Canada and the Midwestern US.

Switzerland Tourism said her appointment would kickstart a year of more “mutually beneficial collaborations with operators” and new and extended programmes helping to educate agents on how best to sell the destination.

Another “key initiative” for the UK and Ireland market, Switzerland Tourism said, will be its “Swisstainable” sustainability campaign.

Alex Herrmann, director of Switzerland Tourism UK and Ireland, said: “With the appointment of Evelyn as a senior professional as head of trade, we are keeping our commitment to British and Irish travel trade partners and are planning to extend our activities for tour operators and travel agents.

“The travel trade has become even more important for us in the current recovery period.”