Stanley Tollman is an entrepreneur and philanthropist who has devoted himself to the travel and tourism industries by founding The Travel Corporation (TTC), a global group of award-winning travel brands that spans more than 35 different countries.
Early years
Stanley Tollman was born in 1930 in Cape Town, South Africa. His parents ran a humble hotel and restaurant in Johannesburg named The Palace, and at the age of 19 Tollman left university to help further the success of the business. This experience became Stanley Tollman’s first step towards building his own empire later in life.
Business and opportunities
After getting married, Tollman set up his first venture with his wife Bea, The Nugget Hotel. They later bought, re-modelled and re-launched another hotel called The Oyster Box, where the two first met. The devoted pair has worked together in business ever since, opening a string of successful restaurants and hotels.
One of Tollman’s first major achievements was with the success of the Colony Restaurant, which was popular among many different South African entertainers at the time. He then went on to launch a profitable chain of different establishments called SA Empire, including the Tollman Towers Hotel. At the young age of 25 Tollman had already earned his first million.
Due to a sharp increase in interest rates in the 1970s, Stanley Tollman lost a lot of his fortune after he made an investment in a hotel company. He made the brave decision to move his family over to England in order to make the most of the few investments he had left.
Following a string of successful investments over the next ten years, Tollman turned his financial situation around. His most rewarding investment at this time happened to be a small travel company known as Trafalgar Tours which would later become The Travel Corporation.
The Travel Corporation
Through a great deal of hard work and determination, Tollman founded The Travel Corporation (TTC) and turned it into the successful organization it is today. Currently, the company employs more than 4000 employees that work across 35 different offices globally. It also boasts over 25 award-winning brands, which offer services such as, luxury hotels and accommodation, river cruise ships and niche tour operators. These famous brands include Trafalgar Travel, Contiki Tours and AAT Kings among others.
Environmental awareness
Tollman is also passionate about wildlife and his South African heritage. He has helped to see the preservation of plant life and supports an arts fund to help talented young artists. He is also a firm believer that each and every one of us is responsible for the protection and restoration of our environment, Brett Tollman, CEO of TTC and son of the founder, Stanley Tollman, founded the Conservation Foundation in 2007. The aim is to encourage sustainable tourism by all companies in the group, as well as protect environmentally sensitive regions. In an unprecedented move, TTC recently announced that its brand, Contiki, would be collaborating with famous environmentalist Celine Cousteau. The new team aims to educate staff and travellers on issues of the environment, as well as increase awareness of ocean conservation projects in which the company is involved.
Other interests
Stanley Tollman is a charitable man and in celebration of his 80th birthday he gave generous donations to several charities at the TTC International Sales Conference during the fall of 2010. The organizations he chose were those he held particularly close to his heart including The Amy Biehl Foundation, the Desmond Tutu Peace Centre and the Make a Difference Foundation.
Online References
Stanley Tollman – Founder and Chairman of the Travel Corporation
Stanley Tollman – About the Successful Businessman
Stanley Tollman Gather Profile
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