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The Hall of Leaders was established in 1969 as part of U.S. Travel's National Awards Program to recognize individual contributions to the travel and tourism industry.
Induction to the U.S. Travel Hall of Leaders is the single highest and most revered honor an individual in the travel and tourism industry can receive.
The award is presented by the U.S. Travel Association. Inductees into the Hall of Leaders are individuals who have made sustained, noteworthy contributions that have strengthened the broad travel and tourism industry. The exemplary vision and leadership demonstrated by these individuals have strengthened and unified the industry well beyond their own organizations, industry segments or communities.
If you have questions, please email Angie Briggs, Vice President, Industry Relations.
Past Honorees
| 2021 | Roger Miles | Miles Partnership |
| 2020 | Joe D'Alessandro | San Francisco Travel Association |
| 2020 | Ernest Wooden Jr. | Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board |
| 2019 | Bob Moore | Hilton |
| 2019 | Nancy Novogrod | Travel + Leisure |
| 2018 | Todd Davidson | Travel Oregon |
| 2018 | Spurgeon Richardson | Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau |
| 2017 | Arne Sorenson | Marriott International |
| 2017 | Randy Smith | STR |
| 2016 | Caroline Beteta | Visit California |
| 2016 | Christopher J. Nassetta | Hilton Worldwide |
| 2015 | Michael A. Leven | Georgia Aquarium |
| 2015 | W. Stephen Maritz | Maritz Holdings Inc. |
| 2014 | Sam Gilliland | Sabre Corporation |
| 2014 | Rossi Rallenkotter | Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority |
| 2013 | Mike Gallagher | CityPASS |
| 2013 | Randy Garfield | The Walt Disney Company |
| 2012 | Gary Sain | Visit Orlando |
| 2012 | Peter Greenberg | CBS News |
| 2011 | The Honorable Harry Reid | U.S. Congress |
| 2011 | Donald S. Freeman | Freeman Companies |
| 2010 | Isadore Sharp | Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts |
| 2009 | Adam Goldstein | Royal Caribbean International |
| 2009 | Stevan Porter | InterContinental Hotel Group |
| 2009 | Andrew Taylor | Enterprise Rent-A-Car |
| 2008 | Jay Rasulo | Walt Disney Parks and Resorts |
| 2007 | Stephen P. Holmes | Wyndham Worldwide |
| 2006 | Jonathan S. Linen | American Express |
| 2005 | William S. Norman | Travel Industry Association of America |
| 2005 | Alan Fredericks | Travel Weekly |
| 2004 | Richard D. Fain | Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd. |
| 2003 | Marilyn Carlson Nelson | Carlson Companies Inc. |
| 2002 | Jonathan M. Tisch | Loews Hotels |
| 2001 | Walt Disney | Walt Disney Co. |
| 2000 | Joseph Vittoria | The Travel Company |
| 1999 | Michael Egan | Certified Vacations Group, Inc |
| 1999 | Edward Hogan | Pleasant Holidays LLC |
| 1998 | Curtis Carlson | Carlson Companies, Inc. |
| 1997 | Marjorie Beenders | Missouri Division of Tourism |
| 1997 | Thomas Kershaw | Hampshire House Corporation |
| 1997 | Patrick McMahon | Virginia Tourism Corporation |
| 1996 | The Honorable Ronald Brown | U.S. Department of Commerce |
| 1996 | Kenneth Hine, CAE | American Hotel & Motel Association |
| 1996 | George Kirkland | Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau |
| 1995 | Jim Host | National Tour Association, Inc. |
| 1994 | Roger Ballou | American Express Travel Related Services Co., Inc. |
| 1994 | Darryl Hartley-Leonard | Hyatt Hotels Corporation |
| 1994 | David Humphreys | Recreation Vehicle Industry Association |
| 1993 | Ted Balestreri | The Cannery Row Company |
| 1993 | Earlene Causey | VIP Travel Agency of Baytown |
| 1993 | The Honorable John Rockefeller IV | U.S. Congress |
| 1992 | Stanley Fisher | Allied Tours |
| 1992 | Charles Goeldner | University of Colorado, College of Business |
| 1992 | Robert Harnsberger | Luray Caverns |
| 1991 | Preston Robert Tisch | Loews Corporation |
| 1991 | Charles West | Alaska Sightseeing Tours TravAlaska |
| 1991 | Kemmons Wilson | Holiday Inns, Inc. |
| 1990 | Robert Dickinson | Carnival Cruise Lines |
| 1990 | The Honorable Ernest Hollings | U.S. Congress |
| 1990 | Dr. John Hunt | University of Massachusetts--Amherst |
| 1990 | Norman Philion | Air Transport Association |
| 1989 | Bob LeBlanc | Louisiana Office of Tourism |
| 1989 | Jack Lindquist | Walt Disney Productions |
| 1989 | William Toohey | Travel Industry Association of America |
| 1988 | Chuck Gee | University of Hawaii |
| 1988 | Voit Gilmore | Four Seasons Travel Service |
| 1988 | Arthur Tauck, Jr. | Tauck Tours |
| 1987 | Eric Friedheim | Travel Agent Magazine |
| 1987 | Robert Giersdorf | Exploration Cruise Lines |
| 1986 | Edward Book | Hershey Entertainment and Resort Company |
| 1986 | William Edwards | Hilton Hotels Corporation |
| 1986 | J. W. Marriott, Jr. | Marriott Hotels and Resorts |
| 1985 | Paul Ignatius | Air Transport Association |
| 1985 | Howard "Bud" James | American Hotel & Motel Association |
| 1985 | Irwin Robinson | Travel Weekly |
| 1984 | The Honorable Donna Tuttle | USTTA |
| 1984 | Peter Ueberroth | Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee |
| 1983 | Howard Clark | American Express Company |
| 1983 | Mary Huddleston | Trailways, Inc. |
| 1982 | Jeanne James | Arizona Hotel & Motel Association |
| 1982 | James Michener | Author |
| 1981 | Bunny Grossinger | Grossinger Hotel |
| 1981 | The Honorable James Santini | U.S. Congress |
| 1980 | Melinda Bush | Hotel & Travel Index |
| 1980 | James Montgomery | Pan American World Airways |
| 1979 | Elana Andersen | Hyatt Hotels Corporation |
| 1979 | Robert Sullivan | San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau |
| 1978 | Marjorie McDonald | Georgia Hospitality & Travel Association |
| 1978 | Paul Rodgers | Ozark Airlines, Inc. |
| 1977 | Betty Blake | Betty Blake & Company |
| 1977 | James Kerrigan | Trailways, Inc |
| 1976 | Katharine Kane | City of Boston |
| 1976 | William Walton | Holiday Inns, Inc. |
| 1975 | Florence Somers | Redbook |
| 1975 | C. Langhorne Washburn | United States Travel Service |
| 1974 | The Honorable Daniel Inouye | U.S. Congress |
| 1974 | Frances Koltun | Frances Koltun Enterprises |
| 1973 | Bill Hardman | Hardman Productions |
| 1972 | Charles Gillett | New York Convention and Visitors Bureau |
| 1971 | William Patterson | American Express Company |
| 1970 | Laurance Rockefeller | Rockresorts, Inc. |
| 1969 | Clarence Arata | Metropolitan Washington Board of Trade |
| 1969 | Robert Murphy, Jr. | Washington State Travel Council |