Knowing each other for many years and having all held a range of commercial roles across the travel industry, Chris, Fleur and Robert decided to combine their tourism expertise to form The ETM Group.
The ETM Group brings together Emotive Travel Marketing, New Age Marketing and a curated pool of specialist agencies, offering our clients personal, bespoke representation solutions for the UK and European markets.
We have represented some of our clients for more than 25 years whilst others are newer to the portfolio. All have different requirements and areas of focus, so naturally, we provide a tailored solution for each. Above all, we pride ourselves in delivering an excellent, creative, reliable service producing tangible and positive results at reasonable cost for the long term.
Our team offer a wide range of skills and expertise enabling us to curate each client's account team depending on their specific needs. We also work with a small network of additional service providers for social, creative and media buying. Meet them here...
Chairman
Robert Hardless, Chairman
Robert has over 45 years' experience in travel and tourism with special emphasis on aviation consultancy and destination marketing. He has undertaken tourism representation for both Australia's Northern Territory and South Australia and been engaged in many aviation contracts and other travel related projects during his career.
In addition to representation, Robert regularly undertakes one off projects which have included procurement of suitable in market representation for Macau, the Cook Islands and Papua New Guinea as well as using his considerable commercial aviation expertise to consult on airline start ups and other related projects.
Robert plays an important strategic and commercial role in the business and he is well known and widely respected throughout the industry.
Director
Fleur Sainsbury, Director
Fleur has always been passionate about travel. Having spent much of her childhood in East and Southern Africa, she still travels as much as she can. Fleur began her travel career as a tailor-made long-haul specialist before moving into product and marketing roles. In 2007, Fleur moved into representation and has worked on the Tourism & Events Northern Territory account ever since. As Account Director for this client, Fleur manages a team including trade, marketing and PR and covers all aspects of client service delivery. Fleur also began working on the Hawai‘i Tourism Europe account in 2024 as Account Manager (UK), managing trade activity, partnerships and marketing campaigns.
Fleur is highly organised and systematic in her approach to project management and delivery and has experience in event management, broadcast projects, brand partnerships and niche marketing. She has run several award-winning marketing campaigns, including winning the Gold Medal and Best in Show at the RHS Hampton Court Flower Show for the ‘Essence of Australia’ garden, which formed part of a wider marketing campaign and partnership.
Managing Director
Chris Lee, Managing Director
Chris began his career in travel and tourism in 1995 as a Long Haul and Special Interest Marketing Executive for over-50's tour operator Saga Holidays. He then went on to join the Tourism Authority of Thailand as Head of Marketing and PR launching the hugely successful 'Amazing Thailand' campaign.
In 2002, he joined long haul tour operator, Travelmood, as Commercial Director growing the company turnover from £38 million to £56 million and winning multiple awards. Following the sale of Travelmood to the TUI Group in 2008, Chris was appointed Commercial Director for four of TUI's specialist brands: Austravel, Travelmood, Magic of the Orient and Trips Worldwide with a combined turnover of £100 million.
In 2009, Chris moved into representation setting up LTC and working with Tourist Boards, Tour Operators, Hotel and Airline clients based in the UK and around the world. He was also Chairman of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) UK Chapter from 2011 to 2015 and remains on the Board and Executive Committed to this day.
Managing Director
Andreas Schunck, Managing Director - New Age Marketing
Andreas discovered his passion for travelling in 2008, after completing a semester abroad in Melbourne. After graduating from university in 2010 with a Diploma in Business Administration and Finance, he decided to travel extensively throughout the Asia Pacific region. It was during this time that found his calling in the tourism industry whilst working for tourism operators in Australia and New Zealand.
Back in Germany, Andreas took up a position with The Conjoint Marketing Group as the Marketing Manager for Tourism Western Australia, allowing him to develop a strong network within the tourism industry. Andreas then joined Karisma GmbH in 2016 as Marketing Manager for Tourism NT before moving to Lieb Management alongside his client in 2018. For Tourism NT, he developed and launched a number of very successful projects such as the ‘Australia’s Wild Sides’ initiative and the ‚Welcome to Hotel Outback‘ campaign. In his role as Senior Account & Digital Marketing Manager for Lieb Management, Andreas was also responsible for the development of integrated marketing strategies for a range of international destinations and tourism brands.
In 2020, he went on to set up New Age Marketing in Munich. His areas of expertise include account management, brand positioning, integrated marketing and digital advertising solutions, trade relations and strategic partnerships. When not in the office, Andreas can often be found roaming through the mountains of the Bavarian Alps.
Account Director
Robin Russell-Pavier, Account Director - Papua New Guinea Tourism
Robin has worked for some of the UK's leading long-haul tour operators and his career spans more than 25 years. His extensive tour operator experience has given him a proven track record in developing successful new programmes and management of existing ones, and has provided him with an excellent insight into life 'on the other side of the table' when working with the travel trade.
There's nothing he enjoys more than developing a new destination or product. Robin is a creative thinker and relishes the challenge of building new relationships. Robin looks after all consumer and trade facing activities for the Papua New Guinea account.
Historically Robin has worked with a wide range of destinations in the Asia Pacific Region, East and Southern Africa, the US and Canada. He has also worked as a travel journalist for Thames Television and can turn his hand to copywriting as and when required. Robin is a firm believer that every destination in every travel brochure was once someone's new product. If we never took the time to develop new places and destinations then our industry would never move forward. This is an investment in our industry's future and keeps the travel business alive and vibrant with ideas that ultimately excite the travelling public.
Account Director
Amy Thomas, Account Director - Hawai‘i Tourism Europe
Amy is an accomplished marketing and communications leader with over 20 years’ experience across the travel, tourism and wellness sectors. Having travelled to 60+ countries (and counting), she brings a genuine passion for travel and a broad understanding of destinations, travellers and the experiences that inspire them. As Account Director for Hawai‘i Tourism Europe, she leads integrated marketing, PR, partnership and trade activity that celebrates Hawai‘i’s natural beauty, rich cultural heritage and values.
Driven by a lifelong passion for travel, Amy began her career as a tailor-made travel consultant before moving into senior marketing and destination representation roles. Her experience spans multiple European markets, audiences and sectors, from adventure and touring to luxury travel, giving her a broad understanding of the travel industry and strong relationships across the trade.
Alongside marketing, Amy has a particular passion for wellness. During the COVID pandemic, she took a break from the travel industry to become Director of The Mindfulness Project, a mindfulness charity, for several years. She is also a trained clinical reflexologist, mindfulness teacher and reiki practitioner, and is currently completing her yoga teacher training. This personal connection to wellness aligns closely with Hawai‘i’s values of balance, respect and connection, and informs her approach to promoting more mindful and sustainable travel experiences.
Amy holds a BA (Hons) in Marketing, a CIM Diploma in Digital Marketing, an IDM Award in Behavioural Economics and an HNC in Graphic Design & Illustration.
Account Manager
Lucy Wheeler, Markets Manager - Tourism & Events Northern Territory
Lucy joined the travel industry in 2015, where she worked for a Travel magazine and website, working with clients across the board, from hotel chains and airline partners to tourist boards and tour operators. She ran the digital marketing campaigns for each client, focusing on content creation, social media, display advertising and email marketing. She also wrote for the magazine and website, visiting destinations such as Orlando, New Hampshire and Switzerland on press trips. Inspired by the campaigns she was running and trips she was going on, she took seven months out of work to travel the world. Starting in San Diego and ending in South Africa, she visited a myriad of incredible destinations, including New Zealand, Australia, Sri Lanka, Bali, Zambia, Botswana and Namibia.
After travelling, she enjoyed a brief stint in the food industry, running digital marketing for EAT. However, her true passion still lay with travel, and after six months she found her way home and hasn’t looked back since.
Lucy is Market Manager (UK & Northern Europe) for Tourism & Events Northern Territory, managing marketing campaigns and FAMs, alongside running training programmes to inspire and encourage more visitors to the incredible Northern Territory.
Account Manager
Julia Rohrbacher, Account Manager - Tourism & Events Northern Territory & Hawai‘i Tourism Europe
Born and raised in the beautiful Bavarian Forest, Julia now calls the picturesque region near Lake Staffelsee, just south of Munich, home. A true outdoor enthusiast, she spends much of her free time hiking in the mountains, swimming in Bavaria’s crystal-clear lakes and travelling the world in search of her next adventure – from hiking across New Zealand and exploring the Australian Outback to discovering the Rocky Mountains.
Professionally, Julia brings more than a decade of experience in destination marketing, account management and the travel trade. She has extensive expertise in managing international tourism accounts, delivering campaigns and partnerships, travel trade training, and stakeholder engagement. A native German speaker and fluent in English, Julia combines strong knowledge of the German market with established relationships across the tourism industry and a genuine passion for the destinations she represents.
Trade Manager
Betsie Barr, Trade Manager - Tourism Authority of Thailand & PATA
Betsie started her career in advertising, working for a small media buying agency based in Brighton as part of her course at the University of Surrey. She returned to work for the agency during term breaks and after graduating, buying media space for a range of travel and non-travel clients. In 2014, Betsie moved to a creative agency and was based on their Warner Bros. account. Here she coordinated point-of-sale campaigns for a number of their Home Entertainment releases, including the Harry Potter and Game of Thrones franchises.
Betsie moved to the travel industry in 2016, working at long-haul tour operator, Travelbag. Over 3 years, her role progressed from Marketing Executive to Manager and then to focus on partnership marketing where she became responsible for all airline, hotel and tourism board campaigns. During her time with Travelbag, Betsie led the marketing strategies for two new High Street store openings and helped to launch Travelbag’s new branding in 2019.
Now working on the other side of the fence, Betsie is the Trade Manager for the Tourism Authority of Thailand.
Trade Manager
Katja Bockwinkel, Trade Manager - Tourism & Events Northern Territory
It was always pretty clear to Katja that after finishing her internship as a travel consultant, she would embark on a backpacking trip around Australia. After saving every cent and taking on extra jobs, she was able to make that dream come true.
Little did she know that the dream of escaping would actually influence the rest of her life, as the combination of being a travel consultant and a first trip to Australia helped her decide her future career path. After returning home, she took up a position as a Marketing Assistant for the Western Australia Tourism Commission, and since then her passion for Australia has flourished, with over 20 years of experience gained working primarily for Tourism NT.
Katja is an expert in the travel trade distribution system and has a long-standing relationship with the European travel industry, especially in the German-speaking markets. Completing a diploma in Event Management and further qualifications as an educated trainer has opened up a world of diverse opportunities and allowed Katja to gain valuable insights in areas such as trade relations, cooperative marketing campaigns, trade advertising, trade media partnerships, event organisation, and trade training solutions.
Trade Manager
Giancarlo Truffa, Trade Manager - Tourism & Events Northern Territory
Giancarlo has been in tourism for well over 40 years with first-hand knowledge of the most popular tourist destinations spanning the five continents.
After working for over 20 years as wholesaler in Turin, specializing in tailor-made tours and travel especially to the USA, the Caribbean, Australia and the Pacific, Giancarlo moved to representation in 2002 and was the European Manager for an important Australia and New Zealand DMC.
He started representing Tourism Northern Territory in 2003 and representation of the South Australian Tourist Commission followed shortly after; both accounts were held until the start of the pandemic. Giancarlo’s other accounts included a DMC in India, a luxury hotel chain in the USA, and deluxe Fijian Resorts.
Giancarlo is an inveterate traveller and is always very happy to communicate to people his huge passion for travel. Giancarlo speaks Italian, English, French, Spanish and Greek and a touch of Portuguese.
Trade & Marketing Executive
Trade & Marketing Executive - Tourism & Events Northern Territory & Hawai‘i Tourism Europe
Amelia’s love of exploring the world began during her gap year, when she spent two months travelling solo across Australia, embracing every opportunity for adventure, from skydiving and bungee jumping to scuba diving. This was followed by an unforgettable summer with Camp America, where she found herself looking after 12 nine-year-old boys – an experience that certainly put her organisational and people skills to the test! She continued her travels with a month-long road trip around New Zealand in a campervan, embracing the freedom, adventure and creativity that travel inspires.
As a Trade & Marketing Executive, Amelia manages social media and trade training programmes for the Tourism & Events NT account, while also supporting Fleur and Amy on the Hawai‘i Tourism Europe account. Since joining Emotive Travel Marketing over a year ago, Amelia has thrown herself into all areas of the business with enthusiasm, curiosity and a real willingness to learn. From trade and marketing activity to supporting wider agency projects, she has quickly become a valued member of the team, bringing energy, creativity and a passion for travel to everything she does.
PR Consultant
Joanna Cooke, PR Consultant - Tourism Authority of Thailand, Tourism & Events Northern Territory
A creative marketing and PR specialist, Joanna has worked in the travel and tourism industry for more than 20 years, largely with international tourism boards, and still pinches herself that her work is her passion. Her experience spans B2B and B2C marketing, partnerships, public relations, communications, social media and event management, meaning she takes a holistic and well-rounded approach to client strategies.
A Tourism Management graduate, her career began with Thai Airways International in 2005, learning the ropes of the airline industry. In 2007, she joined the Tourism Authority of Thailand, where she enjoyed almost nine years with her extended Thai family, clocking up no less than 49 trips to the Kingdom. In 2016, she was headhunted to join Visit California as Trade Marketing Director and, from 2018 to 2022, she was the in-market PR representative for Visit Orlando in the UK & Ireland.
Joanna founded Departure PR in 2017 and proudly supports ETM clients as well as her own portfolio. She is passionate about travel and delivering authentic and inspirational stories that delve into a destination's rich and unique culture.
Her network of B2B and B2C media contacts spans national, regional, and local press, magazines, online, TV, and radio, and she repeatedly secures coverage for clients. She has a great list of freelance travel writers, influencers, KOLs and celebrities too, as well as various contacts across travel and lifestyle brands for creative partnerships.
She has secured prime-time TV coverage for her clients on popular shows such as Channel 4's Married at First Sight, ITV's TOWIE, BBC's Top Gear, Great Rail Journeys and MasterChef, as well as The Wine Show on Amazon Prime. Joanna has organised everything from branded, award-winning gardens at Hampton Court Garden Festival and experiential pop-ups at Taste of London to Royal gala dinners and intimate press lunches. Joanna launched PATA's PR & communications strategy, increasing the organisation's voice of authority across B2B publications, and has written speeches for CEOs, Ambassadors, Prime Ministers and Royalty. She has worked with media to generate countless inspiring travel features, created hours of influencer content, organised competitions, brand partnerships and broadcast days, and planned over 250 press trips. She is always thinking of creative and fun ways to make her clients stand out.
A well-known and respected travel professional, Departure PR is proud to be part of the Emotive Travel Marketing Group, providing PR consultancy services.
PR Manager
Raman Davies, PR Manager - Hawai‘i Tourism Europe
With more than 15 years’ experience in communications and PR, Raman is a strategic storyteller with a passion for travel, culture and the stories that make a destination truly memorable.
Throughout her career, she has had the privilege of representing some of the world’s most inspiring tourism and hospitality brands, including Hawai‘i Tourism Europe, the Hong Kong Tourism Board, Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc., Lake Constance Tourism Board, Cascais Tourist Board, Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority, Brand USA Travel Week and luxury hotel collections across Europe. From developing creative campaigns and securing high-profile media coverage to managing international press offices and facilitating broadcast productions for globally recognised television programmes, Raman brings together strategic thinking, creativity and a strong network of media relationships to make destinations stand out.
She believes the best travel stories go beyond simply showcasing a place – they capture its character, its people and the experiences that stay with you long after you’ve returned home. Whether uncovering an unexpected cultural story, finding a fresh angle for a familiar destination or connecting journalists and creators with experiences worth sharing, Raman is at her happiest bringing those stories to life.
Her love of travel is closely intertwined with a fascination for history, archaeology and architecture. In her spare time, she often explores stately homes and historic places, discovering the stories hidden in centuries-old buildings, or heads to Shropshire to spend time with her family. She is naturally curious about the world around her and is always looking for the next place, story or piece of history to uncover.
With a deep understanding of the international travel landscape and a collaborative, personable approach, Raman is passionate about creating communications that not only generate coverage but also spark curiosity, inspire travel, and leave a lasting impression.
PR Manager
Abigail Silver, PR Manager - Tourism & Events Northern Territory
Abi Silver has operated as an independent public relations consultant since 2014, specialising in B2B and B2C communications for the travel and tourism industry. Working with clients both large and small, from luxury hotels to long-haul tour operators, Abi’s 20+ years of experience, creative ideas and excellent media contacts is what successfully keeps clients in the headlines and regularly at the forefront of travel trade news.
Abi has previously provided public relations services for the Katathani Collection, an award-winning Thai-based hospitality group consisting of seven hotels; AMResorts, one of the fastest-growing all-inclusive luxury brand management companies with 55 properties across Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America; and leading America, Canada, Mexico and Caribbean tailor-made tour operator Funway Holidays International.
Previous to Abi setting up her own Public Relations consultancy, she worked for the Tourism Authority of Thailand (London) for 10 years as PR Manager, delivering record visitors and receiving several industry company awards. Following the 2004 tsunami, she became a regular media spokesperson on crisis management issues.
Over the past three years, Abi has worked across several travel and lifestyle clients and currently works on the not-for-profit organisation Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) account.
PR Manager
Sabrina Hasenbein, PR Manager - Hawai‘i Tourism Europe
With more than 20 years of experience in the tourism and lifestyle industry, Sabrina is an experienced, charismatic, creative and reliable PR and communications professional. She has handled public relations for clients including destinations, hotels, attractions, airlines and DMCs from around the world, passionately and purposefully pitching their unique stories to the media.
Based in Munich, Sabrina currently leads tourism and events PR in Germany for Tourism & Events NT, bringing her extensive destination PR expertise and strong media relationships to her work. Sabrina is especially fascinated by the NT’s amazing colour palette - from every shade of green in the tropical north to the many shades of red in the Red Centre. Her heart beats fast for Hawai‘i, as well as New York, where she lived for a year and a half. She loves exploring her hometown just as much as the destinations she visits. Her recommendations for Munich can be found in the Fodor's Travel Guide Essentially Germany and the Dumont Hawai‘i travel guide. Her love of travel stems from her family, beginning with her grandmother, who sparked her interest in New York when she was a child.
As a freelance writer and photographer specialising in interior design, travel, art and culture, Sabrina combines editorial expertise with extensive experience in copywriting, social media, sales and marketing, giving her a holistic understanding of brands and communications.
Sabrina enjoys quirky stories, mid-century modern architecture, and all the things that make life beautiful. She dreams of a place close to the ocean and within walking distance of a good coffee shop.
Digital Marketing Consultant
Ross Fraser, Digital Marketing Consultant
Ross is a travel and destination marketing expert, with almost 20 years' experience, and a specialist in Social Media and SEO. In short, he's our digital marketing guru.
He is results-driven with a sound understanding of search and social algorithms, an in-depth knowledge of digital advertising platforms along with extensive tried and tested affiliate experience - this combined with his strong sense of commercial acumen enables him to deliver solutions to clients that make a significant impact not just on their marketing objectives but their overall business goals.
His skills have been valued by UK and international destination marketing organisations including Tourism Thailand, Tourism Northern Territory and Visit Belfast.
Ross also has a track record of working for luxury travel brands including Elegant Resorts, Turquoise Holidays, The Edinburgh Grand, Susan Reid Collection, and Royal Salute.
Career highlights have included playing an integral role in the launch of the Radisson RED brand, where Ross was responsible for creating and directing the implementation of the social media brand strategy, as well as creating the social media brand guidelines for each property in the group.
His happy place is exploring South East Asia.
Digital Marketing Consultant
Chrystal Webster, Digital Marketing Consultant
Chrystal is a strategic thinker with a solid understanding of the psyche of marketing. With almost 20 years of experience in the digital marketing industry she has worked with a range of clients from, business start-ups to global brands.
Her key area of expertise includes; devising innovative strategic and tactical marketing solutions for clients, from research and industry insights through to campaign activation and delivery and budget management.
Chrystal has worked with a variety of luxury and travel brands including Gleneagles, Elegant Resorts, The Edinburgh Grand, Yoo Hotels, Richard Mille and NetJets and was responsible for creating and directing the implementation of the global digital brand strategy Radisson RED.
She has also been an integral part of digital communications in the UK for Tourism Thailand and Tourism & Events Northern Territory, crafting and delivering creative campaign ideas to achieve specific client objectives.
Her happy place is snowboarding in Megève.
The ETM Group, through our affiliate partner companies, offers a full range of marketing services.
Media Buying Services
Creative Services
European Marketing
PR services
