TIPTO welcomes Vishal Patel to the role of Chairman with effect from 01 July 2025. Taking the reins from previous Chair Nick Hughes, Patel will steer the trade association through the final months of the current TIPTO year and into Year 27, drawing on his wealth of experience as Director at Travelpack, his experience as a TIPTO supplier member, and of course his previous six years as a member of TIPTO’s important Leadership Team.
Patel holds more than 20 years of travel industry experience. As a stalwart figure within the agent community, his current role as Director at Travelpack has seen him become a strong advocate for the travel trade with the company supporting agents via training, marketing initiatives, and wider collaborative campaigns both within the UK and internationally. Patel also holds an important presence on social media, operating as an unwavering agent support for questions, guidance and issues management. Patel’s Travelpack role has afforded him the opportunity to oversee all departments, arguably providing an unmatched level of knowledge across most areas of the travel industry. Patel takes on the role of TIPTO Chairman having spent six years as a contributor to the group’s leadership team. Travelpack also has a longstanding connection to TIPTO having been a supplier member since 2015.
Patel comments: “It’s an honour to take on the role of TIPTO Chairman. Supporting the travel trade has always been at the centre of what we do at Travelpack, and I look forward to continuing that ethos in this Chair role.”
“TIPTO offers an unrivalled training environment for agents across the UK & Ireland, and as this is an area close to my heart, I can’t wait to begin supporting TIPTO supplier members as they continue to deliver meaningful and engaging Face2Face training content. Stepping into the Chairman role comes with great thanks to Nick Hughes, who passes me the baton after another unprecedented year of growth.”
Patel’s appointment comes after current Chair Nick Hughes’ stepped down after joining G Adventures (who are not TIPTO Members), following two successful tenures. Hughes comments: “I couldn’t be handing the TIPTO baton to a better Chair, I’m delighted Vishal has been voted in to hold the reins across the next year. He embodies everything that TIPTO stands for and as an engaged, respected face within the industry, he knows TIPTO inside out and holds a proved track record not only with its supplier members but also the UK’s agent community as a whole.”
“As I step down from the Chairman position, I can honestly say I have thoroughly enjoyed the role a second time around. I know TIPTO will continue its upwards trajectory as an unbeatable resource for the industry”.
TIPTO is now in its 26th year of operation with 25 members including: Abercrombie & Kent / Cox & Kings, AmaWaterways, Ambassador Cruise Line, Blue Diamond Resorts, CroisiEurope, Do Something Different, DriveAway, Exoticca, Fred.\ Holidays, Gold Medal, Holiday Extras, Hurtigruten, Intrepid, JG Travel Group, Leger Shearings Group, Newmarket Holidays, Playa Hotels & Resorts, RateHawk, RCD Hotels, Red Sea Holidays, Scenic & Emerald Cruises, Titan, Travelpack, USAirtours, and Virgin Voyages.
