Direct Travel Promotes Christine Sikes to Chief Operating Officer

Direct Travel has announced the promotion of Christine Sikes to chief operating officer.

In her new role as COO, Sikes will oversee global operations and efficiency, leading Direct Travel’s strategic growth following its recent acquisition of ATPI and the launch of its next-generation travel platform, Avenir: Travel Edition.

Most recently, Sikes served as executive vice president, customer experience at Direct Travel. She joined the company in 2014, stepping into the senior vice president of operations role.

“Christine has been instrumental in advancing our ability to deliver exceptional experiences for customers while driving consistency, quality, and innovation across our operations,” said Christal Bemont, CEO of Direct Travel. “Her strategic mindset, deep operational expertise, and unwavering commitment to excellence make her the perfect leader to help us scale globally and bring our vision of ‘The Perfect Trip’ to life.”

A recognized industry leader, Sikes brings to the role more than 35 years of executive leadership experience in the travel sector. In addition to her 11 years at Direct Travel, she held vice president positions at multiple travel companies, including CWT and Navigant International.

“It’s a privilege to step into the role of COO at such a pivotal moment for Direct Travel,” said Sikes. “We have an incredible team redefining what exceptional client service means, and I’m eager to continue building on that momentum—strengthening our operations, empowering our people, and driving measurable impact for customers worldwide.”

This is the second major C-suite change the company has made this year: Direct Travel named Allison Breeding its new chief marketing officer in February.