She had been the deputy chief executive and playing a leading role in developing a plan for the Olympics and Paralympics.

 

Christopher Rodrigues, the chairman of VisitBritain, said: “The nomination committee interviewed a number of skilled candidates and was unanimous in its view that Sandie has the best combination of knowledge, experience, insight, creativity and leadership skills to do the job.

 

"More importantly, in Sandie these skills are combined with a passion for promoting Britain and its nations and regions which the Board regards as an essential quality in the VisitBritain CEO.”

 

Dawe, who grew up in Sri Lanka and was educated in Scotland, graduating from Edinburgh University with MA in German and English Literature, has been at Visit Britain since 1991, joining them from Visit London.

In 1995 Dawe won the first SHINE award for Public Sector Woman of the Year, a prize set up to recognise and celebrate the accomplishments of women in the travel, tourism and the hospitality industry.
 

Rodrigues will now relinquish his executive responsibilities and revert to the role of chairman.

 

Dawe said: “It will be a real privilege to lead VisitBritain in its support of the tourism industry in the toughest economic climate in years, to win market share for Britain and to ensure that tourism is recognised as an important British industry.”