Richard Branson is the entrepreneur most admired by travel agents, according to a poll by consortium Advantage.
In a survey of around 100 delegates ahead of this year’s Advantage conference in Madrid, 25% named the founder of Virgin as the entrepreneur they most admire, followed by Sir Alan Sugar at 25%, Jamie Oliver at 5%, Bill Gates at 5% and James Dyson at 5%.
But when asked which entrepreneurs agents did not admire, Sir Alan Sugar was named again, topping the poll at 30%. Other entrepreneurs disliked by respondents included Donald Trump, because of his extra-marital affairs.
More than half of respondents, 54%, believed the entrepreneurial spirit is something you are born with, while 29% said the trait is something that is taught, while 15% thought it was both.
Delegates cited Victoria Beckham as an entrepreneur, and in the industry gave names such as TWgroup chairman Clive Jacobs, Lowcost Travel Group founder Paul Evans and Walt Disney, along with characteristics ranging from risk taking to vision, innovation, determination and self-belief.