The Bermuda Tourism Authority’s new vice-president of sales and business development will work to increase group travel to the island, the quango said yesterday.

Eric Kincaid stepped into the role, under the direction of chief sales and marketing officer Michael DeCouto, on April 6, the BTA announced.

The authority said: “His focus will include strengthening group and business travel, with targeted efforts in meetings, incentives, conferences and events, as well as sports and maritime sectors.”

It added that Mr Kincaid, based in the US, will also work to build relationships with “luxury leisure trade partnerships … to expand Bermuda’s presence in high-value markets”.

Mr Kincaid earned a bachelor’s in business administration from the University of North Carolina Greensboro and started his career at Marriott International.

He is chairman of the American Society of Association Executives Industry Partner Alliance and serves on Destination International’s advisory leadership board.

He was also vice-president at Choose Chicago and the national account director of citywide sales for Destination DC.

Erin Wright, the BTA’s acting chief executive, said Mr Kincaid’s appointment “strengthens our focus on how we target and convert both leisure and group business in key markets”.

She added: “His experience will help advance more targeted sales efforts in [meetings, incentives, conferences and events], sports and maritime, while supporting our broader goal of improving how we invest in and respond to shifting demand so we can use our resources more efficiently.”

The BTA said that group travel “supports greater stability across the tourism industry and helps sustain employment opportunities for Bermudians”.

It added: “Many of these groups include high-value travellers — from corporate and association clients to sports teams, athletes and event audiences — who experience Bermuda through organised business, sporting and event travel.

“This exposure helps convert first-time visitors into repeat leisure travellers, making both group and sports travel key contributors to both immediate economic impact and sustained future visitation.”