Karen Hoffman, president of the Bradford Group, a marketing/ public relations/advertising firm with a strong portfolio of international clients, has more than 20 years of expertise in the travel industry.

From the time she worked as a news editor in the Jerusalem Bureau of Time Magazine to today, Hoffman has continued to travel and work with people in diverse cultures including Africa, South America, the Mediterranean, Middle East and Asia.

Her achievement in opening the Gambia National Tourist Office for the Bradford Group, led to more clients from Africa including Kenya, Zambia, Zambia Airways, Morocco, Royal Air Maroc and InterContinental Hotels Cote d’Ivoire/Africa. 

In 1997 she launched the Tanzania Tourist Board Campaign in the US which tripled the number of visitors from the US. The US is now Tanzania's #1 source for tourists.

Taking it a step further, in 1997, Hoffman created and initiated the prestigious "World Tourism Award" for Reed Travel Exhibitions and co-sponsors American Express, Corinthia Hotels, and the International Herald Tribune, an award that  is presented annually at World Travel Market, London. 

Under Hoffman's initiative, the Bradford Group led Public Relations and Media efforts for the International Institute for Peace Through tourism (IIPT) first Global Summit in Jordan  sponsored by American Express in 2000.

Following the success of the Jordan Summit, Hoffman and the Bradford team were asked to head up promotion and planning efforts for additional IIPT summits in Geneva and Thailand as well as four regional conferences in Africa.

Under Hoffman’s initiative The Bradford Group team played a major role  in the organization and marketing of the World Trade University Global Secretariat’s World Tourism Marketing and Investment Summits in Nanjing (2004) and Beijing (2007), China and Busan, Korea (2008).

Hoffman was asked by the American Tourism Society in 2004 to lead the public relations effort as the organization expanded its reach to new regions of the world, being charged with the press and media relations for their annual conferences in Hungary, the Czech Republic, Israel, Jordan,  Croatia,  Poland, Egypt and Kosovo. 

In 2005, she was responsible for successfully launching and overseeing an ongoing  US promotional campaign for the Corinthia Hotels, a  Malta headquartered luxury hotel brand in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Libya, Malta, Portugal and Russia and the Corinthia Hotel, Whitehall Place, London ( to open in early 2011).

Recognized widely among her peers for her in-depth knowledge of Africa, in 2005 the Africa Club of the Harvard Business School asked her to organize and chair the first Travel and Tourism Industry Panel as part of their annual Africa Business Conference.

A frequent speaker at tourism expos, forums and conferences including Africa Travel Association events Hoffman has been a guest lecturer  at the New York University Tisch School of Sports, Tourism and Hospitality.

Memberships and Recognitions

• SKAL International
• The Cornell Hotel Society
• The American Tourism Society
Africa Travel Association:  Media Director for more than 15 years and currently  First VP on the International Board of Directors
• Two ATA awards: Founder’s Award and the ATA Award for “outstanding promotion of tourism to the
  Continent of Africa.”
• Special Advisor to the Zanzibar International Film Festival
• Good Will Ambassador in North America for  “Just a Drop,” the clean water charity of Reed Travel Exhibitions/World Travel Market.

Education

• BA in Political Science, Boston University
• Masters in Travel and Tourism Administration, The New School (New York City)
• Advanced Management Program at Cornell University Hotel School