The BGTW is devastated to hear the heartbreaking news that Melissa Tilling, our beloved friend and colleague, died suddenly last weekend. We send our condolences to her loved ones and will update members on the best way to send their own messages of love, support and remembrance in due course.
Melissa has been a true stalwart of the travel industry for decades, a champion of minorities and those often forgotten by tourism, and has dedicated her life not just to serving our industry but to making the world a much better, caring and kinder place—an unwavering legacy that will certainly live on.
As the founder of Charitable Travel, Melissa’s work has touched many often overlooked communities within the tourism industry, providing support and continually striving for a more consistent future. The Guild is grateful for the opportunities Melissa afforded us to work as charity partners on many occasions. Melissa’s passion for a more mindful style of travel, with Charitable Traveller and Sustainable Journeys, also brought her in close contact with the BGTW, and many of our members who shared her passion for sustainable and responsible travel have become colleagues.
But more than anything, Melissa has become a dear friend to many of us. A beacon of light in uncertain times and the champion of a different kind of tourism—a type of tourism that she, without fail, eloquently and passionately championed while teaching us all to travel the world with different eyes. Melissa is tragically no longer with us, but the Guild pledges to keep her legacy alive by continuing to partner with and support her charity work.
Thank you, Melissa, for the laughter and learning, your friendship and support, and your unwavering commitment to being a force for good and perpetually leading improvements in our industry. We will always cherish the memories you have given us. You will be forever missed.
