AITO council member, Bridge & Wickers director and Rainbow Tours founder Roger Diski has died while on a trip to Sierra Leone.
Diski was swept out to sea while swimming on a visit to a community-owned lodge.
His death was announced by AITO chairman Derek Moore, who paid tribute to Diski’s character and his achievements in the industry:
“The many of us who knew him, through his work with AITO, Rainbow Tours and, more recently, Bridge & Wickers, will find his passing a tremendous loss. He was such a larger-than-life character, so full of fun, with an easy smile and irreverence which hid a heart committed to working for everything he believed in, and he seemed indestructible.
“Roger, in my view, represented so vividly all that AITO was about – the ethos, the beliefs, and the fun of being in the travel business. Roger was a stalwart of the AITO Sustainable Tourism Committee for many years and was at the forefront of environmental matters.”
Anyone who wishes to send a message can email africa@bridgeandwickers.com or write to 58 Huddleston Road, N7 0AG, but is asked not to send flowers.