Trafalgar USA’s Melissa da Silva

Melissa da Silva, the former U.S. brand president of Contiki Holidays, is the new president of Trafalgar USA, taking over after Paul Wiseman stepped down last week.

In her new role, da Silva will take the helm of two TTC companies, Trafalgar USA and Brendan Vacations.

“One of our focuses will be on the emotional part of travel [for 2018], what it is that helps people connect to travel. It’s not always rational; it’s about the memories and the growth experiences, the things that make us come back year after year. We want to make sure when we talk to our partners that that’s first and foremost,” she told TMR.

A graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles, da Silva got her start in travel as the vice president of operations with STA Travel. Eventually, she ended up as STA’s vice president of sales, a position she stayed in for more than 17 years.

She started as U.S. Brand president with Contiki in Jan 2013 and stayed there for four years before taking the position at Trafalgar earlier this month.

“I’m excited to get my feet under the desk,” she said.