ECTAA Travel Ambassadors

GABRIELE MILANI
National Director FTO - Federation of Organized Tourism

ANNA LENNHAMMER

Nordic Leisure Travel Group

JOERI VAN ANDEL

Legal Counsel Sunweb Group

DMYTRO TANTSIURA

CEO & Co-Founder Albatros Travel

Gabriele Milani, national director of Fto, a young and innovative association that represents the entire supply chain of organized tourism and counts among its members many leading companies in the sector.

He graduated from the University of Pisa in Economics and began his career as a senior auditor at Arthur Andersen. He then spent 14 years at Autogrill Group, the multinational catering company based in Italy that operates airports, highways, and train stations, where he held the positions of CFO, sales director, and COO.
From 2013 to 2016 he took on two prestigious positions for the city of Milan as F&B manager of Expo Milan and project leader of the new Casa Milan headquarter. Other roles include CFO and board member of an Italian architectural facilities company and general manager of a start-up company operating as a travel agency guarantee fund in the Italian tourism market.
He recently contributed his support and experience gained in Milan to the preparatory work of the Russell Partnership Collection team, F&B strategic advisor for Expo 2020 Dubai.
Gabriele's experience in key positions across various business sectors, from finance to operations, has enabled him to enhance his strategic insight into processes and skills.

Anna Lennhammer is currently working as a consultant for travel agents and tour operators operating in the Scandinavian Travel Industry market and part time as Head of Public Affairs at NLTG, Nordic Leisure Travel Group, covering well known tour operator brands in the Nordic market, such as Ving, Spies, Tjäreborg and Globetrotter.

Anna has a LLM degree from Stockholm University and was previously Secretary General of SRF, the Association of Swedish Travel industry and prior to that, Head of Legal at Thomas Cook Northern Europe. She has 25+ years of experience from many different positions in the travel industry, everything from a tour guide at Gran Canaria to being an industry representative at the Swedish Travel Guarantee Board. Throughout the years she has been involved in high profile market law cases and also played an important part in persuading lawmakers to exclude travel agents and tour operators from mandatory reporting on PNR to Swedish Authorities.
Based in Stockholm with her family, Anna is often seen working in both Copenhagen and Oslo.

Joeri joined Sunweb in February 2020, just one month before the pandemic led to lockdowns and travel bans. With a background as a company lawyer in telecommunications and media, Joeri made a significant career shift into the travel industry.

Despite the unprecedented challenges brought on by the global crisis, Joeri found the experience invigorating and rewarding. "I had to find my way with seven legal regimes, finding a network in a new environment. So yeah, that was nice. I had to adapt and adjust really quickly," he recalls.

Navigating new legal environments across seven countries and rapidly adapting to the complexities of the travel industry, Joeri's journey showcases the resilience and dynamic opportunities within the sector. His quick adaptation and proactive approach highlight the crucial role of legal expertise in ensuring compliance and fostering growth in the travel industry.

On the other hand, about ECTAA's travel industry ambassador program Joeri shares his enthusiasm, " I like it a lot. It is a bit out of my comfort zone, different than my standard operating way. In the legal world, you’re either defensive or trying to convince about your individual position in short term conflicts. For ECTAA that's also similar, but now it's for a wider group and you have to understand the different interests and over a longer period".

He is the proud parent of two wonderful children, a 14-year-old son and a 9-year-old daughter. His life outside of work is filled with diverse interests, including playing football and volleyball, chess, photography, music, and salsa. These hobbies reflect his "CAN DO" attitude and workaholic nature, both of which have been instrumental in his professional journey.

He was always looking for ways to represent Ukraine with ambitious and engaging projects, alongside inspiring challenges to be involved in. It was a great honor for him to be nominated by colleagues for the role of the Tourism Ambassador of Ukraine within such a prestigious professional community as ECTAA. By being sufficiently motivated and interested, he aims to become a true ambassador and a driver of Ukrainian tourism, as well as to do his best to perform excellent operations beyond expectations to show maximum efficiency.
At Albatros Travel, as CEO and co-founder, he is responsible for managing global operations, facilitating internal office communications, developing educational programs for staff, optimizing business processes, crafting sales and marketing strategies, and developing products.

VINCENT SNAUWAERT

Public Affaires Manager TUI Group

GEERT RAES

President ABTO, Association Belgian Travel Organisators

ESA TALONEN

CEO of IMT.fi (B2C, FI)

KIM BUTIGAN

Marketing & Project Manager

Vicent Snauwaert, a Belgian professional in aviation and tourism based in Brussels. He currently represents TUI Belgium as the Public Affairs Manager and holds the position of Secretary General at the Belgian Air Transport Association (BATA). With a solid educational and professional background in tourism, aviation, and European politics, Vincent has honed his expertise in aeropolitical and governmental affairs, initially being introduced to the public affairs field during his time as a Public Affairs Officer at the Airport Regions Council (ARC).

Drawing from various experiences, including his time as a trainee at the Belgian embassy in Chile, the European Parliament, and a language institute in Argentina, Vincent Snauwaert applies his valuable insights to navigate the fascinating landscapes of aviation, tourism, and politics. His dedication to improving and positively influencing the industry is rooted in a diplomatic approach that nurtures mutual respect and cooperation.

Since 2020, Geert Raes has served as President of the Association of Belgian Travel Organizers (ABTO asbl/Vzw), a non-profit organization that represents Belgian travel organizers and tour operators. He advocates for their interests at all levels of government, including regional, Belgian federal, and European.

Additionally, he is a Board Member and Treasurer for VISIT USA ASBL-VZW, the Belgian VISIT USA association, where he collaborates with Brand USA Washington to promote the United States as a tourist destination, both for tourism and commercial purposes.
Geert Raes is the entrepreneurial force behind L&G International NV, which encompasses brands like Wings 'n Wheels and Welcome Homes USA. He is also Co-founder and Treasurer of TBE – Travel By Excellence GIE, and serves as Treasurer of GARANTIEFONDS REIZEN OVV.
Earlier in his career, Geert achieved significant success in the hotel industry, serving as General Manager at NAVARRA HOTEL BVBA and as Directeur Général at PALACE HOTEL SA. These roles underscore his extensive experience and dedication to excellence in the hospitality and travel sectors.

He is a father of three and a husband, fully embracing family life. His hobbies have transitioned from football and floorball to skiing, jogging, and padel in recent years, with the latter completely winning his heart.

Every week, he and his wife lead a scout troop for 10-year-olds, infusing their lives with adventure. Rock music, especially drumming, resonates deeply with him. His passion for leading people drives him forward, both in his personal life and professional career.
His journey has been marked by both achievements and challenges. He led the responsible tourism startup Oncarbon, managing to launch it successfully but encountering difficulties in delivering value to potential customers.
Holding a strong belief in entrepreneurial thinking, he is convinced of our collective ability to improve the world, one step at a time.
The tourism sector has faced turbulent times, particularly during the Covid crisis, which at moments seemed almost insurmountable. However, those challenging days have imparted lessons more valuable than he could have anticipated. At IMT.fi, they create dream vacations to Europe's most magical destinations for Finnish travelers. As the CEO and co-owner, he guides this thrilling endeavor.

An experienced communications professional, Kim's career in journalism included time at the Croatian national broadcaster (HRT) as a newsreader for the global English language news service Voice of Croatia. After jumping the fence into public relations in the UK, Kim worked on award-winning national communications campaigns for travel, outdoor, environment, and FinTech sector clients.
Kim currently oversees the marketing and project delivery for one of the Adriatic region's leading destination management companies which in 2022, was awarded Tour Operator of The Year by Azamara Cruises and also named Travel Agency of the Year by Croatia's Chamber of Economy, Ministry of Tourism and National Tourist Board. Adriatic DMC played a key role in the return to travel following the outbreak of the global pandemic, working closely with the world's leading cruise companies and local and national governments to facilitate cruising on Croatia's Adriatic Coast.
Based in Dubrovnik, Croatia, Kim's work in sustainability has included work on EU-funded pilot programs, volunteer program development, and certification scheme delivery. With a keen interest in the social impact of sustainability-focused projects, Kim is currently working on schemes to improve opportunities for employees and residents.

ERIKS LINGEBERZINS

Managing Director Baltic Vision & Chairman ALTA

Eriks Lingeberzins is the Managing Director and Member of the Board at Balticvision Riga Ltd., an incoming tour operator in Riga, Latvia. Since September 2011, he has managed daily operations, financial control, customer and supplier relations, and coordinated services between the head office and local representatives in Poland.
Since April 2019, Lingeberzins has been the Dean of Faculty at Turiba University, overseeing curriculum development and ensuring alignment with industry standards. He represents the faculty in professional industry institutions and supervises the departments of hospitality and languages.
In the tourism sector, he serves as Chairman of the Board at ALTA (Association of Latvian Travel Agents and Operators), focusing on tourism policies and collaboration with universities. At Turiba University, he is also an Assistant Professor and Director of the Strategic Tourism Management program, leading the Tourism Research Center.
Lingeberzins' previous roles include Travel Consultant and Sales Department Manager at Via Hansa Tours Ltd. He holds a Doctorate in Economics from Turiba University, specializing in tourism enterprise management, and a Master’s degree in Social Sciences from Riga Stradins University.