Pam Inman entered travel and tourism in the early 1980s, working for the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development and, later, the Tennessee Department of Environment, where she oversaw marketing of the state's resort parks.
Those with years in the travel industry have faced big changes and incredible challenges.
Since 1991, Bob Hofmann has worked to make a deeper connection between Broadway and the travel industry, focusing on wholesale distribution programs including group and individual FIT ticketing and promotions. All the while, he's felt strongly about the importance of youth group travel.
John Stachnik is the president and co-owner—with his wife, Mary—of Mayflower Tours, in Downers Grove, Illinois. He and his family have made the company a success, and they want to keep it that way.
Prior to opening his company in 1980, Doug Ellison spent fourteen years in high school education. As a teacher, he organized school tours that took place during breaks—tours that sparked his interest in travel. Ellison Travel & Tours was established with two employees and student group travel in mind. Today, the family-run, Exeter, Ontario-based company has three locations.