Scenic Group Hires Voyages Tourism's Ayala to Run APAC

Scenic Group has appointed Ana Sofia Ayala as managing director Asia Pacific, effective 18 January 2027, hiring a commercial leader whose last role bundled sales, trade, marketing and distribution into one strategy at Voyages Tourism Australia.

The move matters to sellers because Ayala's record is distribution-heavy. At Voyages Tourism, where she spent seven years as chief revenue and marketing officer, she ran a transformation that strengthened distribution, introduced new booking technology and built the Just WOW brand platform. Before that, she was global director of eCommerce at Royal Caribbean's Miami headquarters, leading digital initiatives that grew pre-cruise revenue (ancillary sales made before guests board) and connected marketing, social media and customer service across the guest journey.

In other words, this is an operator betting on someone who knows how travel gets sold, not just how it gets marketed.

Who reports to her in Sydney?

Ayala will be based in Scenic Group's Sydney office and lead an APAC bench that includes:

• Jarrod Pask, general manager customer, operations and administration
• Katherine O'Neill, executive marketing director
• Emma Davie, director trade and commercial sales ANZ
• Robert Kalemba, director sales and agent programs AU
• Dominic Tan, regional sales and marketing manager APAC

That structure keeps trade sales and agent programs as separate lines — a signal that advisors remain central to Scenic and Emerald Cruises' regional distribution.

Chief commercial officer Adam Armstrong said Ayala brings "a powerful combination of international cruise experience, commercial leadership and a clear understanding of what matters to guests and travel partners".

"As we enter our next phase of growth, her ability to connect brand, distribution, digital and customer experience will be invaluable," he said.

What does the timing tell us?

Ayala arrives in Scenic's 40th year, and she framed the appointment accordingly. Scenic Group is "an Australian success story", she said, calling this "a pivotal moment for Scenic in Asia Pacific".

"With new ships and destinations on the way, this is a pivotal moment for Scenic in Asia Pacific," she said. "I'm looking forward to working with a talented team, and with the travel partners who have been central to Scenic and Emerald Cruises' success, to continue to grow across Australia, New Zealand and Asia."

Note the sequencing: partners get a mention before markets do.

What changes on the product side?

The company also promoted Angus Crichton to global head of product, based at the group's office in Zug, Switzerland. Crichton will lead product teams globally, with the stated aim of tightening the link between product development, guest experience and commercial performance — a pairing that suggests itineraries will be judged on margin, not just brochure appeal.

Crichton brings more than 26 years at Scenic Group in senior sales, marketing and product roles, spanning its evolution from escorted touring into river cruising and luxury yacht cruising. Think of him as institutional memory with a commercial brief.

"Having been part of Scenic Group's evolution over more than 26 years, I'm excited to help drive its next chapter," Crichton said. "Bringing product development and our commercial teams closer together will help us deliver exceptional journeys for our guests and give our travel partners compelling experiences to sell."

What's the read for the trade?

Two appointments, one logic: distribution and product pulled closer together under commercially minded leadership. For agents across Australia, New Zealand and Asia, the practical question is whether Ayala's booking-technology record at Voyages Tourism translates into smoother trade tools at Scenic — the kind that lift conversion rather than paperwork.

With new ships and destinations promised and a 40th-anniversary growth phase underway, partners should expect a louder — and more measurable — regional push from Sydney starting early 2027.