Successful entrepreneur James Hoseason, OBE, died on 7 November, 2009, at the age of 82.

As Chairman of Hoseasons Holidays from 1949 to 1999 he introduced ground-breaking innovations such as allowing holidaymakers to 'dial-a-brochure', direct phone reservations and computerised reservations.

Many will remember Hoseason's iconic television advertisements for self-catering British holidays.

Born in the Shetlands in 1927, he moved to Suffolk with his family and later became a civil engineer

His father, Wally, was a harbourmaster who started a business renting out boats on the Norfolk Broads.

When his father died, James Hoseason took over the business - and the British holiday revolution began.

He presided over decades of rapid growth as the business moved from a few hundred customers in the Norfolk and Suffolk areas to a multi-million pound company.

Holiday parks and self-catering cottages were added to the portfolio and before he retired in 1999, following a £22 million management buyout, he saw his firm dealing with more than a million customers a year.

Mr Hoseason was awarded the OBE in 1990 for his services to tourism.

He sat on the board of the English Tourist Board and was also a fellow with the Chartered Institute of Marketing and a founding member of the UK’s Tourism Society.

Outside work he had a passion for flying.

Mr Hoseason, who lived in Beccles, died after a year of ill-health. He left a wife, Lesley, and sons Jonathon, Julian and James.

Tim Fullam, marketing director of Hoseasons, said: "Jim Hoseason was an icon of the UK tourist industry who will be remembered with both enormous affection and respect by all those who worked with him, many of whom, like me, are still with the company today. His inspired foresight laid the foundation for a business which continues to lead the way in today's highly competitive market place, and which retains the ideologies of customer care and staff welfare and training which were so close to his heart."