NEWS OBITUARY


Industry mourns Stanley Tollman T


ributes have been paid to “global tourism industry visionary, entrepreneur and philanthropist” Stanley Tollman, who died last week


aged 91 following a battle with cancer. Born in South Africa but a long-time London


resident, Tollman was founder and chairman of The Travel Corporation, the international travel group that 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 issued by The Travel Corporation


last week confirmed Tollman 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 by 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.”


Tributes 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 had 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 at the cutting edge of the travel industry


‘Inspirational and highly successful’: Stanley Tollman


Stan and his family were


always at the cutting edge of the industry and continually creating new products run with style


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 don’t make them like Stanley any more.” 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, acknowledged Tollman’s impact and particularly noted the transformation of the Ashford Castle Hotel in County Mayo, which reopened as part of Red Carnation Hotels 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.”


Family Tollman leaves his wife Beatrice, known 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 Tollmans’ 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 forming part of the fourth generation of Tollmans in the expanding operation.”


KEY MILESTONES OF A LIFE IN TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY


Q1930: Born in the South African village of Paternoster, Stanley Tollman grows up in hotels owned and operated by his parents Solomon and Evelyn.


Q1954: Stanley marries Bea and the couple lease their first hotel that year


12 7 OCTOBER 2021


using money received as wedding gifts. He subsequently develops a hospitality portfolio.


Q1969: Stanley expands into the travel industry with the purchase of Trafalgar Tours and goes on to build


The Travel Corporation, a group that now includes more than 40 brands. Under his guidance, Travel Corporation companies win numerous consumer and trade awards over the years.


Q2013: Stanley is honoured for his


outstanding contribution to the global travel industry at the Travel Weekly Globe Travel Awards.


Q2015: He is inducted into the British Travel and Hospitality Hall of Fame. Q2021: Stanley dies, aged 91.


travelweekly.co.uk


Founder and chairman of The Travel Corporation died last week aged 91. Robin Searle reports


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