Newmarket Holidays boss to become Atas chair

Niel Alobaidi, chief executive of Newmarket Holidays, will take over as chair of the Association of Touring and Adventure Suppliers (Atas) next month.

He will succeed Zina Bencheikh, EMEA managing director at Intrepid Travel, who steps down in May after completing her two-year tenure.

Alobaidi’s appointment was announced during the Atas Leaders Dinner at Browns in Covent Garden, London, on Wednesday (April 2).

He said: “With such a unique proposition, this is an exciting time for the touring and adventure sector, and it is unsurprising that we have seen significant growth in the last few years.

“I am honoured to have been selected to be the next chairman of Atas and am really looking forward to working closely with our members, and the rest of the board, to explore how we can accelerate this momentum even more over the next couple of years.”

More: Community tourism helps ‘balance out’ negatives, Atas conference hears

Newmarket reiterates trade support after investment

Alobaidi became Newmarket Holidays’ chief executive in 2019, moving from his role as managing director of Emirates Holidays UK & Ireland.

He had held senior management roles at Tui and First Choice before he joined Emirates Holidays in 2015.

Newmarket Holidays is one of the founder members of Atas and Alobaidi has been on the board since its inception in 2022.

As with previous chairs, Bencheikh will now become deputy chair to help support the Alobaidi in his new role.

Claire Brighton, Atas director, paid tribute to the work done by Bencheikh and welcomed Alobaidi as he prepared to take on his new role.

“I’m delighted to welcome Niel as our fifth chair – and thank Zina for her splendid efforts in the role,” she said.

“Niel is a wonderful advocate for touring and adventure holidays – taking part in panel discussions at our conferences, for example – and he has also been a keen supporter of travel agents, recognising their vital role in promoting our sector’s holidays and ethos.

“Zina brought great enthusiasm and energy as Atas chair, endorsing our sector and highlighting topics such as the environment and women’s issues.”