Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson tops the list of the wealthiest Britons in travel.
He saw his fortune rise by £325 million to £3.4 billion in the last year to place him as the 16th richest person in the UK.
This includes stakes in Virgin Blue and Virgin Media worth £230 million and involvement in other companies valued at £2,378 million, while further investments add £400 million, according to the annual Sunday Times Rich List.
Saga founders Roger and Peter De Haan are next in the travel sector with wealth of £800 million followed by Abercrombie & Kent founder Geoffrey Kent with £243 million.
Mike Gooley of Trailfinders is in fourth position in the travel sector with a fortune of £240 million with Kuljinder Bahia of Southall Travel (£237 million), David Babal, Gullivers Travel Associates (£200 million), Airtours founder David Crossland (£160 million), Edward Faith and Uzi Kattan, both GTA (£125 million), Andrew Goodsell, Saga (£120 million), Gold Medal Travel founder Ken Townsley (£118 million), Ebookers founder Dinesh Dhamija (£102 million) and Peter Stephens, Lotus Group (£101 million).
The overall Rich List sees Edwardian Hotel Group’s Jasminder Singh and family at 208th place with £427 million and Peter Harris and family, founder of Butlins parent Bourne Leisure, at 219th with £400 million.
Lord Glendonbrook, formerly Sir Micheal Bishop, the ex-chairman of BMI, is 370th in the Rich List with £200 million while Ryanair chief executive Micheal O’Leary’s wealth has growth from £322 million last year to £350 million, making him the 19th richest individual in Ireland.
A new entry into the Rich List in 366th position is AirAsia boss Tony Fernandes with a fortune of £208 million. He also has a stake in hotels to financial services business Tune Group.