At its 75th Anniversary Gala, the Southern California Chapter of the American Society of Travel Agents (SoCalASTA) recognized travel pioneers Ed and Lynn Hogan. The Hogans, who founded Pleasant Holidays in 1959, were joined by six other travel icons also recognized at the October 2 event held on the Hornblower Entertainer (pictured) in Marina del Rey.
Under the Hogan ownership until 1998, Pleasant Holidays in Westlake Village, CA became one of the world's largest wholesale travel companies, serving up to 500,000 people a year traveling to Hawaii, Mexico, Asia, South Pacific, Europe, Caribbean, and other areas. The company is now owned by the Automobile Club of Southern California.
Among their many contributions, in 1991, the Hogans created the ASTA Southern California Chapter/Pleasant Holidays Scholarship program to encourage new entrants to the travel industry. In 1993, the Hogans were inducted into the national ASTA of Hall of Fame.
Following the sale of Pleasant Holidays, the Hogans founded the Hogan Family Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the entrepreneurial spirit through the creation and operation of educational, civic-minded, and humanitarian programs designed to encourage a more productive and contributory society. The Foundation is located in Newbury Park, CA.
Also recognized during the SoCalASTA diamond anniversary evening were: Vicki Freed, Dr. Marc Mancini, Henry Miele, Jimmy Murphy, Susan Tanzman and Joseph Watters.
