Former Travelodge sales director joins Jurys Inn
Irish hotel group Jurys Inn has appointed Andy Besent as head of sales with a brief to maximize growth through direct to consumer channels.
He will be responsible for overseeing the expansion of all sales initiatives across the Jurys Inn portfolio, including the management and supervision of the regional sales managers.
In his new role, Besent will also focus on driving the Group’s growth in the meetings and exhibitions market, which grew by 61% over the last year with 215,000 square feet of space added following significant investment.
Based in Watford and reporting directly to MD Jason Carruthers, he brings more than 20 years of experience in sales to the role, most recently as managing director at HRS UK.
He was previously sales director at Travelodge and has held senior sales positions at InterContinental Hotels Group and Guoman & Thistle Hotels.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Global tourism exceeds 1.5 billion travelers announces UN-Tourism
Qatar Airways offers reduced timetable to over 60 destinations
WTTC global tourism reached record economic impact of 11 trillion in 2025
Marginal increase for New York City tourism in 2025
Hands In, UATP join forces for airline multi-card payments