Longtime travel advisor advocate Scott Ahlsmith died Dec. 25 after a long illness. He was 74.
Ahlsmith had a 45-year career in retail travel. He was an agency owner, vice president and general manager of travel tech company Trams, Virtuoso's head of technology, a consultant for Apple Leisure Group and chairman of the Travel Institute.
Scott Ahlsmith
Garry Pollard, the Travel Institute's current chairman, noted that Ahlsmith joined the board in 2002 and was its longest-sitting member. His stint as chairman lasted eight years.
Recently, Ahlsmith had launched Travel AIcademy, an educational platform for travel professionals focused on artificial intelligence.
Technology played a major role in Ahlsmith's career in the industry. That dates back to his college days, when he was one of the first graduates of the University of Kansas' computer technology program.
"We bid goodbye to a friend and a leader," Pollard said. "Scott leaves a legacy of innovation in business and technology that helped propel the industry forward for many decades."