For over 40 years, Joanie Ogg has been a household name for members of the travel industry. Whether you recognize her from one of the popular websites and online communities associated with Ogg Marketing Group, know her as the Godmother of Emerald Waterways’ Emerald Star or remember her from the early years when she owned companies like Windansea Vacations and NACTA, it’s safe to say Ogg’s career has made a big impact on travel and tourism — and the people that make it happen — throughout the years.
And while she jokes it’s unlikely she, nor her husband Tom, will ever officially retire, saying, “We love this industry too much, and it is weaved into our personalities,” Ogg plans to slow down in 2025, sharing that she’s passing the reins to her son Andy to make more time for family — and pets — in between creating educational content for advisors.
As she makes this transition, The Compass is looking back on her fabulous career, highlighting a few of her favorite moments and spotlighting her advice for the modern advisor.
How It Started
Growing up, Ogg’s mother owned a travel agency and, “To support my teenage shopping habit, I was given the brochure and tariff filing duties,” she recalled. “I was very blessed to have had many travel experiences in my early years.” By age 20, Ogg made her way to Northern California and began working at Runaway Tours, a Hawai’i tour company. Serendipitously, this move led to her meeting her husband Tom, who was an Aloha Airlines escort at the time, in the lobby of the Halekulani Hotel.
Together, the pair went on to start Windansea Vacations, a Hawai’i FIT tour company, and later purchased a small association called NACTA — originally the National Association of Commissioned Travel Agents. “We could see the writing on the wall and felt that home-based travel agents were going to be the future of the travel business,” she said. They weren’t alone in this revelation, and in 2000, the Oggs sold NACTA to the American Association of Travel Advisors. “We did not include our books or HomeBasedTravelAgent.com in the sale,” Ogg said. “We then started FindaHostTravelAgency.com when it became obvious that the industry needed a site that featured credible host agencies.”
A Family Business
Married for 43 years, today the Oggs own and operate several brands under the Ogg Marketing Group umbrella including Travel Professional NEWS, Find a Host Travel Agency and Home Based Travel Agent. Their son has become a longstanding member of the team, too. “Our amazing son, Andy … shared his interest in being a part of the family business, and we could not have been happier,” Ogg said. “Since then, we have worked closely together to build and grow our business portfolio.”
Looking back, Ogg shared that while she’s had surreal experiences like dining with the Prince of Monaco and meeting the President of Ireland, some of her proudest professional moments happened when advisors shared how much Ogg Marketing Group helped them grow their careers. “There is really nothing quite as fulfilling,” she said. “Tom and I, and now Andy, have dedicated our business to training and enabling travel advisors to achieve their dreams and goals for decades, and their success stories are our success stories.”
Advice for Advisors
“Focus and tenacity are the critical elements to have a successful travel business,” said Ogg. “The same is true for marketing. An appropriate marketing channel depends on an agency’s niche and client base. However, travel is a relationship business, and using the technology to maintain relationships is critical.”
As we hurdle toward a futuristic reality, Ogg notes keeping up with new trends, namely AI marketing, is tricky. However, she assures advisors Ogg Marketing Group is here to help. “Tom has always been into technology and is simply completely immersed in AI,” she said. “Be sure to read his articles in Travel Professional News for easy to understand and useful information about AI marketing tools and strategies.”
Originally appeared in the Spring 2025 issue of The Compass magazine
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