Washington joins a raft of recent senior hires announced in April, when it secured $80 million in Series B funding.

Washington has extensive experience in online travel retailing, having worked as managing director Expedia Northern Europe and ebookers, EMEA before dnata. He has also previously worked for Cosmos, Lastminute.com and Thomas Cook.

Starting his new role as senior vice-president travel today, Washington will report directly to Culture Trip’s recently appointed chief operating officer Jeff Szczepanski.

Leveraging the content produced across its website and app, Culture Trip will connect its users with boutique and lifestyle hotels, independent hotels, hostels and experience providers.

Washington said: “Culture Trip’s inspirational content has location at its heart, the local knowledge of its global network of contributors’ means it can uniquely get under the skin of a place and tap into the zeitgeist for truly authentic experiences.

“The scale and engagement of its existing audience means it offers an enviable connection to hard-to-reach discerning millennials and I believe it will be a game changer in the travel industry for hotels and tourist boards looking to acquire and motivate new visitors.”

Kris Naudts, Culture Trip’s founder and chief executive, added: “We’re building a leading, global consumer brand that will disrupt the travel industry through creative content and technology.

“As we continue to grow, I’m looking to bring together leading minds from tech and travel to pioneer and innovate, and Andy’s extensive travel experience and insight will be a key driver in that.”