About the Foundation

The LATA Foundation was founded in 2007 when LATA (Latin American Travel Association) brought together a group of competing tour operators and hoteliers to give back to the region that they love.  Since the Foundation started, over £500,000 has been donated to more than 65 projects across Latin America and over 75 volunteers have dedicated their time to achieving the Foundation’s mission.

Up until 2025, the Foundation has been entirely volunteer led. Many of our volunteers are acknowledged specialists in Latin America with a background in the travel industry. Without our volunteer’s incredible dedication, our work would not be possible. Now with the first paid member of staff serving as Fundraising and Volunteer Manager, the Foundation aims to support even more projects across the continent.

The Foundation is closely aligned with LATA, a powerful community committed to promoting Latin America as a tourist destination and positioning it as a global leader in sustainable tourism. Through the Foundation’s partnership with LATA, we can harness the collective strength of the community to drive meaningful, lasting change, and together, we can make an even greater impact in Latin America.

Our committee

Fundraising and Volunteer Manager

Rachel Nicoll is the Fundraising and Volunteer Manager at the LATA Foundation. Rachel has a background in both the Latin America travel industry and the non-profit sector. She previously worked as a Latin America Sales Consultant at Cox & Kings, as Latin America Product Manager at Rainbow Tours and Head of Product at cazenove+loyd. Prior to joining the LATA Foundation, she worked for the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), an international philanthropy charity managing their international network of charitable partners. Her combined experience of travel, philanthropy and passion for the region uniquely positions her to help drive the Foundation’s mission forward.

Our trustees

Jude Berry (Chair) was Head of the Projects Team for five years until September 2019, when she became Chair of the Foundation’s trustees. Currently Sales Manager for Americas, a group of well-respected Latin America DMCs, over the last 15 years she has also worked with both bespoke and group travel to Latin America. Interested in sustainable tourism and drawn by the grass roots projects Jude joined the LATA Foundation projects team in 2011.

Nicola Gude (Vice-Chair) started working in the Latin America travel industry in 2007 having previously spent 8 months studying in Mexico and working as an English Teacher in Arequipa, Peru for a year. She now works at Senderos UK in representation of wildlife lodges and boutique hotels in South America and Costa Rica. She has been an active member of the LATA Foundation since 2011, first as a member of the Events and Fundraising team helping organise sponsored activities, larger events and fundraising drives. She then became head of the Events and Fundraising team in 2016 and is currently a trustee.

Richard Brass (Treasurer) has worked in international banking in the City, in the leisure industry in the United States and in specialty retail which is his current project. He has been involved with the travel industry to Latin America since 1994 as a director of Austral Tours. He was the treasurer of the Latin America Travel Association (LATA) for a number of years and was inducted into LATA’s Hall of Fame in recognition of his work.  Richard founded the LATA Foundation in 2007 and was Chairman until 2009.

Katie Aston spent 25 years working in the travel industry, collaborating with customers and suppliers across Latin America, after completing a degree in Latin American studies. She now works as a care coordinator at a busy inner-city GP practice which works closely with refugees and asylum seekers. She has been a member of the LATA Foundation’s Projects team for 10 years, working with project partners to ensure that funds go towards projects and communities in Latin America that vitally need them.

Bibiana Garside joined the LATA Committee in 2014 and has served as LATA’s Honorary Secretary since 2015. She is Director of Marketing at Geodyssey. In 2009 Bibiana founded HighLives Travel which specialises in travel to her native Bolivia, which became a Geodyssey brand in 2016.

Lyn Hughes is co-founder and editor in chief of Wanderlust, the UK’s leading travel media brand for sustainable, authentic, experiential and adventurous travel.  Having initially had the idea for a travel magazine on a flight to Ecuador in 1992, Latin America holds a special place in Lyn’s heart. She tries to visit at least once a year and has won awards for her resulting articles. Lyn has served on the LATA committee since 2005, and is the current vice-chair. Believing that travel should be a power for good, helping local communities and wildlife, she is very proud to have become a trustee of the LATA Foundation in 2019.

Kate McWilliams is the deputy MD of leading travel PR and representation agency, LOTUS. Kate joined LOTUS in 2007 and since then has overseen and delivered a number of successful tourism campaigns. Following her passion for Spain and Latin America, Kate launched LOTUS LATAM in January 2017; a division of the business focused on Latin America and the Spanish-speaking markets. During her 12 years in the industry, Kate has developed excellent relationships with leading travel editors, key media and the wider travel trade. Kate currently represents a number of travel clients including the Latin American Travel Association (LATA), the Guyana Tourism Authority and Buenos Aires, amongst others.

Megan Parkinson is the Head of Sustainability and Impact at LATA, bringing over 17 years of experience in the Latin American travel industry. Megan has been volunteering for the LATA Foundation since 2007, she led the Events and Fundraising team for six years and has been a trustee since 2019. As LATA’s Head of Sustainability, Megan has been instrumental in launching sustainability training programs and advocating for responsible tourism practices. Her leadership in these areas underscores her commitment to fostering sustainable development and conservation throughout Latin America.

Colin Stewart is a seasoned aviation professional with over 15 years of experience in the airline industry. As the UK and Ireland Director for Air Europa, Spain’s largest privately owned airline, Colin successfully launched the carrier into the competitive UK market in 2009, achieving consistent double-digit growth year on year. Colin joined the Latin American Travel Association (LATA) in 2017 and served as chairman until 2023.

Martin Johnson (Chair of LATA Committee) is the Co-Founder and Director of Latin Routes and Polar Routes. With a deep-rooted passion for immersive and responsible tourism, Martin has played a key role in building both companies from the ground up, growing them into award-winning businesses known for innovation, sustainability, and exceptional customer service. Martin currently serves as Chair of the Latin American Travel Association (LATA) and Chair of the Expedition Cruise Network (ECN), where he plays a key role in promoting sustainable travel to Latin America and the polar regions, and advancing the expedition cruise sector globally.

Carmel Hendry (Deputy Chair of LATA Committee) is the Head of Product at Explore Worldwide, a leading UK adventure travel company specialising in small group itineraries. With over 10 years of experience in tour operations, she has travelled extensively across Latin America and the Caribbean. In 2023, Carmel was appointed Vice Chair of the Latin American Travel Association (LATA), where she plays a key role in promoting sustainable tourism practices in the region. Carmel is also both a trustee of the LATA Foundation as well as a member of our projects team.

Note: The board consists of a maximum of twelve Trustees up to half of whom may be appointed by the Committee of the Latin American Travel Association (LATA) from its ranks.