TOMSA Board appoints Gail Westphal

Gail Westphal

"I am honoured to have been approached to sit on the TOMSA board. This is an invaluable opportunity to contribute to the growth of tourism both nationally and locally.

As the country's largest domestic tourist destination and a major player in the international tourism market, KwaZulu-Natal has a lot to offer both in its own right and as a major contributor towards the packaging of South African tourism as a whole," she said.

TOMSA is a private sector initiative that was set up in 1999 to raise additional funds for the marketing of 'Destination South Africa'. This is done via travel and tourism service providers who collect a 1% voluntary levy from tourists. The money raised is used by South African Tourism to market South Africa as one of the premier tourist destinations in the world.

Since the inception of TOMSA, over R800 million has been generated, paving the way for South African Tourism to promote the country in 15 core markets around the world.

Westphal's journey

Passionate about South Africa as a destination, Westphal joined Gooderson Leisure in April 2010. As head of both sales and marketing for South Africa's oldest independent hotel group, she says she has had countless opportunities to grow her already extensive experience within the sector.

After studying public relations and marketing through Damelin, Westphal began her career in the hospitality industry with The Don Executive apartment/Hotels where she was responsible for sales and marketing for the group as well as developing the concept of alternative accommodation to hotels.

After eight years, she joined Exeter Game Lodges, handling their sales and marketing, before becoming chief executive officer of SATSA. Following this, she opened her own specialist tourism consultancy, McCann & Associates. She was also the first woman elected to the Board of Fedhasa