Llama will bring together the collective expertise of several experienced UK travel professionals, and unlock access to insights spanning a range of topics, including new marketing techniques and trends.

The company has been founded by Andrew Shelton and Heath Heise, who between them have held senior positions at British Airways, Virgin Holidays, American Express and Amex Travel, STA Travel, dnata and the metasearch platform Cheapflights.

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Fellow "llamas" include former Kuoni marketing chief Dean Harvey; Lisa Edwards-Webb, whose experience spans Saga and Titan Travel, British Airways and Virgin Holidays; and ex-dnata communications and PR lead Phil Bloomfield, with more llamas to be announced in the coming weeks.

Llama will work both with brands with established marketing teams in need of strategic guidance, as well as smaller, newly-formed start-ups which would benefit from CMO-level input.

Shelton said: "Having been in the position of leading the marketing for several travel brands, I would have found it invaluable to be able to validate my thinking or stress-test my options with an objective expert.

"In that role, you’re acutely aware that you’re responsible for one of the biggest cost centres in the business, and there are multiple stakeholders invested in how that budget is used, and what the outcomes need to be.

"Collectively we’ve faced every kind of travel marketing challenge, and our purpose is to ensure that our knowledge is used proactively and with intent for travel brands, to deliver solutions that make a difference."

Heise added: "In this challenging and highly competitive environment, travel brands can’t waste time hoping to find the right direction to take. 

"Like our namesakes, we’re agile but reliable, considered yet creative in the advice we give, and will use the combined strength of our herd to guide clients to the richest grazing."