Nick Tarsh, a British businessman who developed the Insight and Trafalgar travel brands, has died after a two-decade battle with metastatic prostate cancer, his family said. He was 86.<\/p>\n
Tarsh, who died May 10, was also instrumental in creating the European Tour Operators Association, becoming its founding chairman in 1990.<\/p>\n
Tarsh got into the travel business in the 1960s when, with the backing of an uncle, he bought a share in the Overseas Visitors Club. He later bought Trafalgar Travel, which he developed into a leading guided vacation brand under several owners, including The Travel Corp., which still owns the brand.<\/p>\n
He eventually left Trafalgar and launched Insight International Tours, which competed head-to-head with Trafalgar until Tarsh sold it to The Travel Corp. as well.<\/p>\n
Tarsh is survived by his wife of 62 years, Helen, four children and eight grandchildren. His son David is managing director of the travel marketing and public relations firm Tarsh Consulting. <\/p>\n