"This year marks the 50th year I have had the great pleasure of being in the travel industry. After getting out of the Naval Air Corps in 1945 and attending Seton Hall College, I joined Skycoach Airlines in Newark Airport, N.J., in 1948. Later I was a co-pilot for U.S. Aircoach, and then was director of sales  marketing for Transocean Airlines in Los Angeles, Honolulu, San Francisco and New York.

"This year Pleasant Holidays and I celebrated 40 years together. What a trip it has been -- seeing the world, making lifelong friends and associates -- and I'm still learning about this wonderful travel industry!

The Largest And Still Growing

"Do you think our legislators know or appreciate that the travel industry is the largest industry in the world, employing 262 million people, with sales of $3.8 trillion dollars?

"Do they know the World Travel  Tourism Council estimates that over the next five years U.S. travel and tourism will grow 40 percent, to more than $710 billion in revenue? Or that in the next 10 years 2 million new jobs will be created to employ 16 million people in our industry?

"How about the fact that travel by U.S. residents is expected to increase 6 percent to $546.6 billion in 1999, followed by another 5.5 percent gain to $576.4 billion in 2000? Of that, our country's Travel Agency volume is expected to reach $133.3 billion and $140.6 billion, respectively.

Wanted: More Industry Executives

"Are we getting anyone's attention yet? I think we'd better!

"As a board member of the Association of Travel and Tourism Organization (AOTTA), I get lots of statistical information, like the fact that 300,000 executives will be needed in our industry by the year 2005.

"Where will we get these executives from? And who's going to train them? Go to any fourth-grade class of students and ask them what they want to be when they grow up. How many do you think will say they want to be travel counselors, hoteliers, cruise directors, or any other positions in the travel industry, vs., perhaps, firefighters, police, doctors, lawyers, engineers or the like?

"We in the travel field make a vital, strong industry, yet we don't have the public awareness we deserve. We need help.

Scholarships, Foundations and "The Rule"

"Lynn and I thought of this problem some years ago and started the Pleasant Hawaiian foundation in 1987 with a million dollars to give scholarships to students in Hawaii so they could pursue studies in the travel industry.

"We have given many scholarships over the years, but it wasn't fulfilling enough. More needed to be done. So on Oct. 9, 1998, we set up the Hogan Family Foundation.

"Have you heard of the `Rule 72'? Well, if you invest capital with a 10 percent R.O.I. divided into 72, it gives you the time it takes to double your money, or 7.2 years. At 15 percent, it only takes 4.8 years, and at 26 percent, it's only 2.76 years.

"It's because of people like our loyal travel agents that Pleasant Holidays has succeeded over the years, bought and sold hotels, and invested in good stocks like Microsoft, Berkshire Hathaway, ATT, and G.E., to name a few. Lo and behold, through these business decisions, our business grew and grew!

"Now that we can really afford to make a difference, we are funding the Pleasant Travel  Tourism Institute, which will develop educational programs for the public and students so they may learn the benefits derived from our industry and to ensure greater access to the global economy benefiting Americans.

Helping to Get the Word Out

"Here's where we need your help. When we get our brochures and pamphlets printed, we need you to take them to your local grade schools and high schools to educate students about our travel industry. We will employ speakers to train those of you who wish to make presentations, and we will make films and videos for distribution and to show how our travel industry compares to other work fields in the U.S.

"I have been on the board of trustees of Loyola Marymount University for nine years, and two years ago I presented the idea of a four-year travel  tourism graduate curriculum to educate future executives in our industry.

"Last July, Lynn and I received a proposal from LMU to fund the school for $3 million, and for me to become the first chairman of the school. We are accepting the challenge and negotiating with our council so we can legally accomplish our mission.

"As you can see, we are excited about this new project, and I hope that you all will become the bell-ringers of travel even more intensely, as children everywhere bring the message of tourism home to their parents with our pamphlet and your agency stamp prominently displayed.

Making Peace And Creating Commerce

"Travel is the greatest peacetime economic engine the world has ever known...We in the travel industry are the peacemakers by helping travelers to experience and understand others' cultures. As Montesquieu, the french philosopher, said in 1741, "Commerce is peace and peace is commerce." I tell you today, travel creates commerce and we are the peacemakers.

Mahalo and Aloha,
Ed Hogan