Darwin Escapes Managing Director shortlisted for travel industry award

The MD of a leading holiday park operator has been shortlisted for a prestigious industry award.

Lindsey Esse, Group Managing Director of North-Wales headquartered Darwin Escapes, is a finalist in the inaugural 2017 Everywoman in Travel Awards, celebrating the most exceptional female talent in the UK travel industry.

She is one of three women to make the shortlist of the Leader Travel Award, given to a woman ‘making a significant contribution to the strategic direction of the business’.

The finalists were hand-selected by a judging panel comprising some of the travel industry’s most discerning senior figures including Sophie Dekkers, UK Country Director at EasyJet and Jo Rzymowska, a Vice President and Managing Director at Celebrity Cruises.

The awards were launched this year to help recognise the exceptional women within the travel industry whose success stories will inspire the next generation and ensure the future pipeline of female talent.

In the UK, only 33% of women lead travel organisations while female representation in the boardroom is even lower, where they hold between 5-8% of corporate board member roles within publicly owned hospitality businesses.

The winners will be announced at a ceremony in Canary Wharf in London on November 16th.

Under Lindsey’s leadership, Darwin Escapes has gone from strength to strength, ensuring guests “carve memories for life”, while employing 500 full-time staff and over 200 additional seasonal employees.

In addition to its 20 holiday parks across the UK, Darwin Escapes has this year acquired two golf resorts – the KP Resort in Yorkshire and The Springs in Oxfordshire.

Lindsey said: “I’m delighted to be a finalist in these prestigious industry awards. I have a very simple business philosophy – as a leader, I need to love what I do and I need to ensure that everyone on my team does as well.

“As a company, we are dedicated to giving our holiday owners and holidaymakers the best possible customer experience. My aim is to become the market leader for quality, self-catering holiday parks in the UK.”

For further information about Darwin Escapes and its holiday parks visit www.darwinescapes.co.uk or follow on twitter @DarwinEscapes