karine thomas
Director, Navigate Oceania

Sales, marketing and media strategy with implementation
Speciality: Tourism sales, marketing and communications strategy

Karine Thomas designs strategic marketing communication strategies that work for small, medium and large travel and tourism companies, making her one of the most successful marketing, press and public relations specialists in Australian travel and tourism.

After an early career in sales and marketing of luxury hotels in London with the Hyde Park Hotel (now the Mandarin Oriental), she went on to work in senior sales, marketing and publicity roles with such major hotel companies as Forte, Shangri La, Radisson, Small Luxury Hotels and Star wood (Sheraton) based in the UK, Europe, Usa and Australia. She returned to New Zealand as Director Sales and Marketing, Sheraton Auckland Hotel and Towers in 2000, managing a team of 17.

A winner of many important tourism and advertising awards in both New Zealand and Australia for Yasawa Island Resort, Radisson Playford Hotel and Sheraton Auckland Hotel and Towers, Karine continues to excel by winning awards annually for her current client list.

Karine's network of travel and media contacts within New Zealand and at international levels, and her experience in international markets, ensures Navigate is a cost-effective source of targeted marketing and press coverage.

A Board member of the New Zealand Tourism Industry Association since 2006, Karine completed her Master of Management (Luxury Branding) at the University of Auckland, holds a Post-Graduate Diploma (Business), University of Auckland and a Graduate Diploma of Advanced Hotel Markting from the prestigious Cornell University in NY, USA. She also holds a Bachelor of Education.