We are sad to announce the passing of a dear friend and the founder of Tucan Travel, Pip Tyler. Aged 64, Pip died peacefully in Sydney after a long battle with cancer. Tucan Travel have set up a page here for those who knew Pip to leave messages of condolence for his wife and daughter, Liliana and Shanna. 

Pip founded Tucan Travel along with his wife, Liliana, in 1987 running the business together from South America. He had the inspiration to run public-transport based tours in South America while he was working for a different tour operator in the region which used private transport which always broke down. "Clients really enjoyed the authentic experience of travelling with locals. I realised that this was the best way to experience this fabulous continent." The early days of Tucan Travel looked a lot different to today with Pip and Liliana having to work behind a bar in a pub to supplement their income before starting their first tour from Bogota in November 1987. The first section, from Bogota to Lima had only three passengers on board with a further four joining at Lima.

A passionate traveller, one of his favourite countries was Guatemala for the colourful markets and friendly people. However, he always had a soft spot for Colombia where he met his wife, Liliana. Many of the 115+ countries which he travelled to, he travelled to with her and their strong partnership allowed the company to blossom into the size it is today.

On the loss of a good friend, Matt Gannan, CEO of Tucan Travel released a statement, “Pip was a travel industry giant who helped build the Adventure Travel industry into what it is today. It was Pip's drive, optimism and hard work that helped make Tucan Travel a household name and he will always be remembered for this. I will miss Pip a great deal. On behalf of everyone at Tucan Travel, I would like to send our condolences to Liliana and their daughter Shanna and to Pip's other family both in Australia and the UK.” 

Pip maintained an active role in the company, working to develop Tucan Travel's Tailor-made team in Australia right up until June 2014 when he and Liliana formally retired and left the business. They were able to spend his final months in the company of some of their closest friends and family in Australia and around the world.

To leave messages of condolence for Pip's wife and daughter, Liliana and Shanna, please click here.