The Unforgettable Travel Group has appointed Simon Leeming to head up a new dedicated cruise division where he will be responsible for offering more diverse cruising options across the ocean and river sectors

Leeming, who joins the company as cruise product and commercial manager, has held product-focused positions at Tripsmiths, Cosmos, Monarch Holidays and Superbreak.

In his newly created role, Leeming will be responsible for delivering Unforgettable’s ‘Cruise 365’ vision, which aims to offer the trade greater choice of cruises, with a particular focus on ship’s accommodating 500 passengers and less, through a year-round programme across both ocean and river.

Simon will report into Isabel Norman-Butler, head of product, who joined the business last month.

‘This is a very exciting time’, Lemming says

Graham Carter, CCO at Unforgettable Travel Group, said: “We have over 5,000 guests who enjoy our luxury small-ship cruises in Croatia every summer, many of whom are new to cruising. Through the introduction of Simon and our trade-friendly cruise division, we want to ensure these guests continue their newfound enjoyment of a holiday at sea within the Unforgettable family brands.”

Leeming added: “This is a very exciting time as we look to take advantage of the unprecedented growth and diversification of the luxury cruising market. I look forward to enhancing our current small ship offering with unforgettable cruising packages.”

The Unforgettable Travel Group now employs more than 25 product managers and destination specialists in place. The luxury tour operator’s Croatia division recently reported a ‘record-breaking’ wave period, with sales revenue up 20 per cent compared to 2023.

“Following the introduction of our dedicated trade team last year, agent partners have had a record-breaking wave. We want to thank them for their continued support of our growing brand,” Carter said at the time.