TRAVEL INDUSTRY LEGEND RENE CHANDLER DIES
Date published: 23 June 2008ABTA was deeply saddened to hear today of the death of Rene Chandler at the age of 95. In 1936, Rene and husband Harry founded the upmarket tour operator The Travel Club of Upminster which in later years was responsible for opening up the Algarve to thousands of British holidaymakers. The area remains one the company’s leading destinations.
Rene and Harry were concerned about the lack of financial protection for tour operators following the failure of Fiesta Holidays in the 1960s. The Travel Club of Upminster was one of the founder members of the Tour Operators' Study Group which later became the Federation of Tour Operators, which pioneered financial protection for customers. Harry was an early Chairman of TOSG.
Rene was also involved in several ABTA Conventions, particularly the one held on the cruise ship Oriana. She was a dynamic, energetic figure who right up to the time of her death was planning her next trip away. Rene’s services to the industry were recognised by the Government when she was awarded an MBE.
Justin Fleming, ABTA President, said: “ I had the pleasure of knowing Rene for over 30 years from my earliest days in the industry. I worked with her and Harry in TOSG and latterly the FTO and I have very fond memories of both exciting business times and some very enjoyable social occasions. It goes without saying that Rene and Harry were true pioneers of the industry who provided great role models. She will be greatly missed.”
Rene leaves behind a son Paul, who is currently Managing Director of The Travel Club of Upminster.
For further information
Sean Tipton, Communications Officer, tel: 020 7307 1902/1900
Frances Tuke, Public Relations Manager, tel: 020 7307 1903/1900
David Marshall, Head of Policy & Communications, tel: 020 7307 1912, mobile: 07894 073 010
Out of Hours: Contact the Duty Press Officer via pager: 07659 190 987
Notes to editors
ABTA was founded in 1950 and currently has over 1,500 members with 6,000 outlets. Members include travel agents, tour operators and support services right across the spectrum from small family-owned businesses to the largest tour operators.
ABTA is the largest travel association in the UK and its Members provide 90% of the foreign package holidays in the UK as well as selling millions of independent travel arrangements.
As part of its comprehensive package of services to Members, ABTA, as a non-party political organisation, also provides an effective voice to represent the interests of its Members to government and key opinion formers at the highest levels. In the UK, these include government ministers, constituency MPs, Select Committee members, senior civil servants and members of the political opposition parties in both Westminster and the devolved administrations in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
In Europe, ABTA is forming close ties with members of the European Parliament, the European Commission and staff within the Director Generals’ Secretariats. ABTA works in partnership with ECTAA (the European grouping of travel agents' and tour operators’ associations) to lobby on interests relevant to its Members.
