profile
interviewed by Mike Brufal Upon his return to London in 1971 Thompson was contacted by Joe Gaggero, managing director of the Bland Group, who offered him the position of managing director of Cadogan Travel. The next year he was invited to join the board of Gibraltar Airways primarily because of considerable previous experience in the Airline industry. Cadogan Travel had been bought by the Bland Group two years earlier. Two Gibraltarians worked in the Sloane Street headquarters, Louis Castro and Sylvia Scullard. At that time Cadogan operated out of two offices, 159 and 149 Sloane Street, the head office subsequently moved to Southampton. Nigel was given a free hand to make all the fundamental changes necessary. As a director of GB Airways he was responsible for the introduction of the Boeing 737s of Britannia Airways to replace the uneconomic BEA Tridents in 1972. In 1987 he was responsible for obtaining the airline’s licence to fly to Funchal — scoring a victory over Air Europe who regarded the licence as its right. In a rare note of praise the Civil Aviation Authority referred to “a particularly well prepared case with much supporting evidence”. The next year Thompson was flabbergasted to be told by Joe Gaggero that his services were no longer required, so he resigned all his Bland group directorships and left the company. He was also asked to retire from the board of Speedbird Holidays, a British Airways subsidiary company. Most senior managers at Cadogan Travel, thinking that what can happen to the managing director can also happen to them, got together and asked Nigel to join them in forming a travel company similar to Cadogan Travel as they had all the experience and important contacts in the travel trade and media to make an immediate impact on the market. Nigel was persuaded to join them and so, three months after his departure in 1989, John Dixon (deputy managing director of Cadogan), John Katz (finance director) and other key members of staff including David Nash (head of the Conference and Group Travel division) and Marilyn Watson (reservations manager), took out personal bank loans, acquired Atkins Travel, a small chain of retail travel offices in Hampshire and Dorset, and established Prestige Holidays to compete with Cadogan Holidays and other up market holidays operators. Such was their reputation in the trade that an ATOL (Air Travel Organiser’s Licence) was granted in six weeks rather than the customary six months. Prestige’s objectives were to provide unstinting service, the best value possible and total dedication to ensuring the client’s wishes were met and exceeded. Nigel was chairman and commuted from his home on the Rock until he retired in December 2005, shortly before his 75th birthday. He remains a consultant. Thompson is particularly proud that, since its foundation 21 years ago, Prestige Holidays has rewarded its shareholders well and built up its reserves to £1.9 million. He feels this performance compares favourably with many of its nearest competitors. Throughout the decades Thompson says he was disappointed that the Gibraltar Tourist Office had always aimed downmarket as far as the UK market was concerned. Pressure was applied
GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2010
As top marketing man in British Eagle, Thompson was responsible for many of the ideas which made Eagle the liveliest of the UK’s airlines during its flamboyant career to tour operators and hotels to produce the lowest possible package fares with a concentration on short stay holidays. The long stay market was neglected. The low hotel rates meant the hotel managements could not afford to maintain the buildings and the service provided was often poor. At this time there were no four or five star hotels on the Rock. This placed Cadogan and Prestige in a difficult position as their objective was to sell quality holidays. Eventually the Gibraltar Tourist Office moved away from the low cost market, hotels were given generous Government grants for refurbishment and the average stay increased in length. Today the hotels offer an excellent service and first class facilities. There has been a considerable improvement in the tourist attractions, he feels, but much remains to be done.
Nigel has lived on the Rock since 1988 and, incredibly, during those two decades he has never been consulted by anyone in the local travel industry on his views on local tourism. “A prophet is not without honour except in his own home”. n
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