Who is Gavin Tollman?

Mr. Gavin Tollman is an experienced businessman who has built for himself an impressive career over the past 20 years in the global travel industry.

Born in South Africa in October 1963, Tollman later moved to the U.S. to attend the American University in Washington DC. where he studied Finance.

In addition to his studies in Finance, Tollman’s professional background also includes becoming a Certified Travel Counselor (CTC). The process of becoming a CTC is considered quite rigorous and challenging. Previously known as the “Institute of Certified Travel Agents”, today, the “Travel Institute” administers a series of tests that evaluate a person’s professional competency and knowledge on topics that relate to travel. In most cases, three skills areas are taught over a timeframe spanning around 9-12 months. These areas include: business development, professional development and contemporary issues.

Gavin Tollman first gained considerable amount of executive training within the hotel industry. In 1987, just a few years after he graduated University, Tollman worked as the Executive Vice President of Buckhead Hotel Management Company. As EVP, Tollman handled the hotel’s operations and day-to-day management; he served the company for almost ten years.

In 1996 Tollman left Buckhead Hotel Management Company to work as the President of Red Carnation Hotels for a little over a year. In this position Tollman was responsible not only for operations but also for the sales and marketing cycles of four Red Carnation Hotels, considered to be high-end luxury accommodations.

With ten years of experience in the hotel industry, Gavin Tollman expanded his managerial reach when he became President of Trafalgar Tours, USA. Trafalgar Tours is a travel and tours company offering a dynamic selection of vacations to destinations located in Europe, the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Asia and South America. Gavin Tollman was President of Trafalgar Tours USA from 1997 to 2001. Under his leadership the company grew to be known as the largest European tour operator in the United States. Trafalgar Tours is an international company and is one of 25 brands owned and overseen by The Travel Corporation. The Travel Corporation owns a large group of reputable brands offering tourism packages for any kind of traveler (age, financial budget, etc). Through his successful work at Trafalgar Tours USA, Gavin Tollman was offered the prestigious job of President of the North American branch of The Travel Corporation.

From 2001 to 2003, Tollman was entrusted with handling the Travel Corporation’s five travel brands operating out of the United States and Canada. These brands included: Trafalgar Tours USA, Insight Vacations, Destination America, Contiki Holidays and AAT Kings. Next, with an internal restructuring of the company, Gavin Tollman returned to managing Trafalgar Tours, only this time he was promoted to be Global Head of Sales. From 2003 to 2009, Tollman continued to oversee the company’s operations, marketing and sales – however this time he was in charge of not only a region, but all the operations across the globe.

Gavin Tollman reached the highest managerial ranks of Trafalgar Tours in May of 2010 when he became Chief Executive Officer, overseeing all of the company’s operations, sales, marketing, product delivery, services and product development. In conjunction, he was also named Chairman of The Travel Corporation South Africa, assigned to overseeing the Travel Corp’s global web strategy and identifying new business opportunities. The most recent new development in the international tourism scene is taking place in China as that population is stepping out to visit the world's most traveled sites. With an annual growth of 30% in that travel market, there is a lot of room for movement as China moves up towards second place in the world's travel market. Gavin Tollman has studied the market and the Chinese population so that he can create special travel packages for them that address the cultural challenges involved in international travel. He accommodates their individual needs with the appropriate destination packages to offer unique travel experiences.

Born in South Africa, and later accredited in the United States – today Gavin Tollman lives in Geneva, Switzerland. In his free time he enjoys playing tennis, yoga, and attending musical concerts.