Stanley Tollman, founder and chairman of The Travel Corporation, has died aged 91 following a battle with cancer.
South African born and London-based Tollman created and oversaw the international travel group which encompasses more than 40 brands including Trafalgar, Uniworld Boutique River Cruises, Insight Vacations, Contiki Holidays and Red Carnation Hotels.
He also pioneered the company’s sustainable travel initiatives through its not-for-profit TreadRight Foundation.
A statement on Wednesday confirmed the “global tourism industry visionary, entrepreneur and philanthropist” had “closed the final days of his life in France surrounded by his close-knit family”.
It added: “A visionary leader, creating new travel experiences and setting the bar for excellence within hospitality and commitment to employee care, his death will be felt deeply across over 10,000 employees working within TTC’s portfolio of 40 award-winning brands operating in 70 countries worldwide, and the travel industry at large.”
Sir Geoffrey Kent, founder and chief executive of Abercrombie & Kent, paid tribute to Tollman following the announcement.
He said: “One of the most amazing figures in travel and tourism has left us. His name is Stanley Tollman. I have known him and his lovely wife Bea since I met them for the first time in 1972 in the Tollman Towers, a brand-new hotel they had just built in Johannesburg in 1970.
“Our travel paths have been closely linked over the years. Stan and his lovely family were always on the cutting edge in the travel industry and continually creating new products run with consummate style. They made so many people so very happy.”
Clive Jacobs, chairman of Travel Weekly owner Jacobs Media Group, said: “I feel fortunate to have met and had Stanley in my life. He was without doubt my greatest inspiration in the travel industry. Not only was Stanley a highly-successful businessman, he was also a man of enormous integrity and values. They certainly do not make them like Stanley anymore.”
Jacobs added: “I cannot begin to imagine how devastating Stanley’s passing is for Bea and the family, and my thoughts and deepest sympathies are with them on this sad day.”
Niall Gibbons, chief executive of Tourism Ireland, recognised Tollman’s impact and particularly noted the transformation of the Ashford Castle Hotel in County Mayo, which was reopened within the Red Carnation Hotels portfolio in 2015.
Gibbons said: “We in Ireland are eternally grateful for the lasting impact and legacy of Stanley Tollman. His vision, positivity and values left a positive influence on us all.
“The investment of Red Carnation Hotels into Ashford Castle has meant Ireland continues to punch above its weight on the world stage. The consequential impact on rural Ireland cannot be overstated. Our thoughts are with his wife Bea and entire family at this time.”
Tollman leaves his wife Beatrice, known universally as Bea, to whom he was married for 67 years, while generations of his family continue to oversee the Travel Corporation portfolio.
The company statement said Bea had provided him “with the love, support, confidence, and complementary expertise needed to venture out into the global tourism world courageously”.
It added: “Today, three of the Tollman’s four children – Toni, Brett, and Vicki – are central to its operations, together with Gavin, the son of his late brother Arnold, and Michael, a nephew.
“Beyond them, grandchildren are now forming part of the fourth generation of Tollmans within the expanding operation.”
Under Tollman’s guidance, Travel Corporation brands have won numerous consumer and trade awards, and in 2013 he was honoured for his outstanding contribution to the global travel industry at the Travel Weekly Globe Travel Awards.