Tributes paid to Gwyn Hughes
The travel industry has been paying tribute to one of its best-known and well respected characters, Gwyn Hughes, who died yesterday.
The former managing director of P&O Cruises died at the London Clinic after a serious illness. He was 65.
Hughes, who spent almost 20 years at P&O, also held a number of other management positions, including former chief executive of easyCruise and former non-executive director of Bales Worldwide.
He was an ABTA board member, ex-ITT chairman and, until his death, had non-executive positions with City Cruises and Villas for Travel.
He was also chairman of Pinpoint Communications, the company he set up with his wife, Tricia Handley Hughes.
She described Hughes as: "my soulmate, confident, business partner and husband", adding: "He was really the original cruise guru, changing perceptions of cruising for UK and introduced the first P&O purpose-built ship for the market. P&O was transformed under his leadership into an award-winning brand.
"He was a wonderful man and I was very privileged to share his life."
Former ABTA chairman and Advantage chief executive John McEwan said: "Gwyn was a marvellous man, great to know and made a considerable contribution to the industry.
"He was very professional and successful, yet was very interested in you as a person and had a really warm personality."
Carnival UK chief executive David Dingle said: "I had the honour of working for Gwyn for 14 years. He was a wonderful mentor and guide, and a truly great man. I, like so many others, owe him much, and he will be missed by so very many."
CLIA UK and Ireland director Andy Harmer, said: "It’s with great sadness that we have learnt of the death of cruise industry veteran Gwyn Hughes after his courageous fight.
"Gwyn was a highly respected member of the cruise industry and made an enormous contribution in raising the profile of cruise holidays.
"He worked tirelessly to promote our sector of the travel industry and we are all saddened to lose such an admired colleague."
A memorial service for Gwyn, who leaves behind two children, will be held in 2014.
Lisa
Lisa joined Travel Weekly nearly 25 years ago as technology reporter and then sailed around the world for a couple of years as cruise correspondent, before becoming deputy editor. Now freelance, Lisa writes for various print and web publications, edits Corporate Traveller’s client magazine, Gateway, and works on the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of photography books, which raise awareness of nature’s most at-risk species and helps to fund their protection.
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