Name Mike Gooley | ||
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Travelmail interview trailfinders owner mike gooley
Michael David William Gooley CBE FRGS (born 13 October 1936) is the co-founder and Chairman of the Trailfinders travel agency company.
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Early life
He is the son of an officer in the Irish Guards, and his mother was a nurse.
He went to St John's Beaumont Preparatory School in Old Windsor, Berkshire. He then attended the independent St George's College, Weybridge.
British Army
He joined the British Army, attending the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS). He joined the South Staffordshire Regiment in 1956. In 1958 he joined 22 SAS, in the prestigious Special Air Service, seeing service in Malaya. From 1961-63 he was with 21 SAS (Artists Rifles). In 1963 he saw action with the 1st Battalion of the Staffordshire Regiment. He left the army in 1965. As a Captain in the SAS, he saw service on special operationss in Borneo, Aden, Oman, Malaya and Yemen.
After leaving the Army, he decided to prospect for gold in Guyana, in the north of South America. After a month of finding nothing, and being investigated by Mi6 as a possible mercenary, he came back to the UK.
Trailfinders
His next idea for a career was to look at leading overland expeditions in remote parts of Africa, or similar. He searched at Companies House and found there were already 122 other expedition companies and thought it was not viable to start a travel company that offered them. On a visit to Thomas Cook he asked about any overland expedition holidays to Kathmandu and was told that they didn't do that sort of thing. He saw his chance and with two ex-SAS colleagues thought about founding a travel company that arranged overland expeditions to remote parts of the world.
In 1970 he set up Trailfinders a travel agency that offered less mainstream destinations for more dedicated independently-minded travellers. Trailfinders has over 20 offices in the UK, around two in Ireland, and around five in Australia.
All of his travel consultants are graduates that have visited at least three continents. The head office is situated in the Kangaroo Valley area of West London. Trailfinders served their millionth customer in 1992, reaching the second millionth four years later. The internet has broadened people's outlook on possibilities for travel.
Personal life
He is married to Fiona, an ex-air-hostess, and has four children. In the 2007 New Year Honours he was awarded the CBE for services to the travel industry.