AFTER war time service flying with the RAF, Leonard Lickorish CBE joined the Travel Association of Great Britain and Northern Ireland as researcher in 1946.
He later became assistant director general and wrote what was perhaps the first travel trade text book, The Travel Trade, with Andrew Kershaw. In 1960 he became director-general of the British Travel and Holidays Association (renamed the British Tourist Authority in 1969) and held the post for 25 years. He retired in 1985 and was also awarded the CBE.
Lickorish was also a founding member of the European Travel Commission, an organisation representing the European national tourist offices. In retirement he became an active secretary of the European Tourism Action Group. He is now an active vice-chairman. He has also co-authored two more tourism textbooks, Marketing Tourism – a Practical Guide with Alan Jefferson and An Introduction to Tourism with Professor Kit Jenkins.