Former industry boss Chris Mottershead has bought shares in specialist tour operator The Discerning Collection, founded by Nick Wrightman and his wife Viv in 2010. Viv remains a shareholder and will continue to run the business alongside Chris, whose previous roles in the travel industry include managing director of TUI UK until 2004, managing director of Thomas Cook UK until its collapse in 2019 and chief executive of Travelzest.
He has also consulted for Barrhead Travel's parent company, Travel Leaders, and is currently an advisor to Corendon Airlines. He is also Chairman of the Institute of Travel and Tourism and owner of the TUI-listed Oasis Hotel & Spa in Kalkan, Turkey.
Chris said he is planning to expand The Discerning Collection, which currently has an ATOL for 870 guests a year, by adding more villas, hotels and experiences such as yoga holidays, and later introducing more destinations. Chris said he is also keen to increase sales of The Discerning Collection through travel agents in the future. “The company had a partnership with Travel Counsellors when it was first established and there are still a number of agents who bring clients to us, and we will be looking to work with more agents in the future” from this segment in the south of Gran Canaria.