Vladimir Raitz

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Vladimir Gavrilovich Raitz (23 May 1922 – 31 August 2010) was a Russian-born British businessman who co-founded the

He attended Mill Hill School, London, and studied economics at London School of Economics. After graduating in 1942, he started work as a journalist, first for British United Press and then for Reuters from 1943 to 1949. ^{[citation needed]}

Entrepreneur

On holiday in Calvi on Corsica in 1949, he was asked by a socialite with local connections, Nicholas Steinheid, to encourage British visitors the following year. Having calculated he could charter an aircraft and provide an all-in two-week holiday in Corsica for less than £35, he set up Horizon Holidays on 12 October 1949, and initiated the package holiday industry. The name was chosen to reflect the blue horizon that passengers would see from a plane window. ^{[citation needed]}

With inheritance money, he chartered aircraft and made the relevant local connections with the airport at Calvi. However, after considerable delay, it was only in March 1950 that the

He left Horizon in 1972 after it was taken over by Court Line (which had also previously taken over Clarksons) and became a travel consultant. Court Line went into liquidation in August 1974.

He was inducted into the British Travel Industry Hall of Fame. His personal memoir, Flight to the Sun, was published in 2001.

Personal life

Raitz had 3 daughters and 5 grandchildren.

References

• "Vladimir Raitz Obituary" in The Telegraph, Sept 3, 2010