Collins, who died last week in Tenerife, joined Kirkham and fellow co-founder Leslie Stone on the Ilford Pictorial group titles in the early 1960s as editor of consumer title Holidays Gazette, before moving to TTG in 1962.

During his six-year tenure, TTG grew from an eight-page tabloid to a 56- to 64-page publication, featuring monthly full-colour supplement Travel Counter.

He also edited daily TTG titles at the 1966 and 1967 Abta conventions in Brighton and Bournemouth.

Roger Edwards, who worked under Collins at TTG, and later at Clarksons Holidays and timeshare exchange company Resort Condominiums International, said Collins became “much-respected, often feared critic” of UK travel industry affairs during the 1960s.

His reign coinciding with the package tourism boom; the launch of Operation Stabiliser, which saw Abta retail agents restricted to selling packages organised by operator members; and the 1966 economic crisis.

In the mid-1960s, Collins presented a series of weekly travel shows on Southern Television, and later made regular appearances on the BBC’s Holiday programme, presented by Cliff Michelmore.

Collins left TTG in 1968 to join his travel industry mentor, Tom Gullick, in an executive role at Clarksons Holidays, then Britain’s largest tour operator, and latterly held roles with American Express’s travel division and Resort Condominiums International.

Following Kirkham’s passing last year, Collins said: “It was a very exciting time. Together, we transformed the look of the paper, [and] made it a tabloid both in look and approach. Ted was generous in the way he handled me.

“I was given a fairly free hand, but in our regular discussions he taught me to have respect for the industry we served.”

Collins is survived by wife of more than 55 years Maggie, and three daughters.