Mary Rossi, travel industry doyenne and mother of ten, sadly passed away on Saturday 15 May 2021, aged 95.
Mrs Rossi began her career in the travel industry when the youngest of her ten children was just two.
In 1969 after a successful television career in which she was the first woman to have her own TV program, she was approached by the Lloyd Triestino shipping company (Galileo and Marconi) to lead a tour to Europe exploring places of Christian heritage.
The 12-week round-the-world cruise and tour was a great success and continued for many years giving thousands of Australians their first taste of overseas travel.
She founded Mary Rossi Travel in 1970 to cater to the individual travel needs of her friends and followers and quickly became recognised in the industry for her professionalism and understanding of the elements of service and what makes a good travel experience.
Mrs Rossi developed a passion for hotels that reflected the ambience and unique essence of their destination. She counted amongst her friends many of the owners of small luxury hotels around the world.
When Virtuoso came to Australia in 2004, it seemed to be a natural progression that Mary Rossi Travel – by then under the current ownership of her daughter, Claudia Rossi Hudson – would be the first to be invited to join.
Mrs Rossi was a strong advocate for women in business and was the first woman to become a director of a travel company (Robert Paxton Travel).
She mentored and encouraged many women in their travel careers and was always available for advice and support. She did this whilst raising her own large family – many of whom worked in the business.
She was often referred to as the Doyenne of the Travel Industry.
Mary Rossi Travel says it continues, to this day, to uphold the importance of integrity and the joy of human connection that Mrs Rossi so embodied.
Header Image: Mary Rossi Travel