Tributes pour in for ‘industry legend’
Tributes have been pouring in for Virgin Holidays co-founder and former managing director Ron Simms, who died last week after a long illness. He was 77.
He was described by many of those who worked with him as ‘kind and caring’ and a ‘gentle soul’. One said he was ‘a great mentor’ while others described him as a ‘true gentleman’ and ‘a legend’.
Prior to joining Virgin in 1985, Simms worked for Cosmos and Pegasus. He was also a non-executive director of the UK arm of Wendy Wu Tours.
A Virgin spokesman said: "Ron helped to found Virgin Holidays in 1985, joining from Cosmos, and grew it to one of the top five tour operators in the country before retiring in 2001.
"It’s no exaggeration to say that in his 16 years at Virgin Holidays, Ron helped to establish the culture of innovation we still enjoy today, and his tenure saw us introduce numerous travel industry firsts – from offering packages to post-Glasnost Russia to launching a loyalty programme for the holiday market, from Disney Downtown Check-In to one of the first ever CD-ROM brochures (remember them?).
"During his time here, the company went from selling basic seven-night packages to Florida aboard an upstart new airline launched just a year before by an unconventional young entrepreneur called Richard Branson, to selling a huge range of destinations that took in the Caribbean, Far East, South Africa, cruising and even Mediterranean Europe.
"While we’re a very different business now, we wouldn’t be that business without the efforts of Ron and his team in those early days.
"There are still people in the company who worked with him, and his passing represents an opportunity for us to remember him and acknowledge his legacy."
The family has asked for any messages of condolence to be left on Simms’ Facebook page, where people can also find arrangements for his funeral.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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