Obituary
■ Jan Watkinson, who
founded ICAN Holidays
in 1996, died at the
age of 67 on June 9
following a long illness.
Jan was known for her
knack of building longlasting
relationships,
both personally and
professionally. She had
a passion for China and
the Far East and was one
of the first tour operators
to take a South African
group to China in the
late ‘80s.
“You seldom spoke
to somebody about Jan
without hearing how they
had known each other
for 10, 20 or even 30
years and had worked
together and ended up
as respected business
partners and friends.
Jan understood her
clients and knew how to
get them to visit places
they would otherwise
not have considered,
and constantly, and
pleasantly, surprised
them,” says her stepson,
Andrew van Zyl.
Born in Wellington, New
Zealand, Jan started
her career in travel after
joining Thomas Cook
Travel in Wellington. A few
years later she married
a South African and after
moving here, immediately
became involved in the
travel industry.
She opened one of the
first guest houses in
the Western Cape and
subsequently established
her own travel business,
Westwood Travel, in
Somerset West in 1984.
She arranged numerous
tours to flower shows
and gardens, from the
tulips in The Netherlands
to the Chelsea Flower
Show and many garden
tours in China, with the
head of the Stellenbosch
botanical gardens, Wim
Tijmens. Together, Jan
and Wim took 17 tours
to China.
Jan started China
Horizons in 1996 and
initially specialised in
trips to China. Due to
the demand from repeat
clients, China Horizons
branched out to the
rest of the Far East
and started trading as
Far East Tours. As the
company grew, offering
tours beyond Asia,
South America and other
destinations, it was
renamed ICAN Holidays.
“Jan was well loved
and admired for her
enduring commitment
to her work in the travel
industry. She shaped my
view on life, and work. I
learned from her views
and perspectives and
her wealth of knowledge
in travel. We are all
united in our grief and
our memories of her
incredible spirit,” says
colleague, Sharon Kemp.
She is survived by her
stepson, Andrew, her
two brothers and their
families.
Jan had been ill for
some time and during
this time, gradually
transferred the
operational management
of ICAN Holidays to Riana
Lourens and appointed
Andrew as a director.
Riana manages a team
of agents who have longstanding
relationships
with Jan and with ICAN.
Andrew shares Jan’s love
of travel and people and
her belief in loyalty and
personal connections.
