UH Mānoa Travel Industry School Celebrates 60 Years With Legacy Fundraiser

UH Mānoa’s School of Travel Industry Management marked six decades of hospitality education with the launch of a yearlong 60th anniversary celebration and a major fundraising push to support student scholarships and industry partnerships. The school announced the campaign on January 20 and said the series will culminate with the Celebrate a Legacy in Tourism event on March 31 at the ʻAlohilani Resort Waikiki Beach, the largest fundraiser of the year for student aid.

Founded in 1966, the school has grown into an internationally respected leader in hospitality, tourism and transportation education while remaining rooted in Hawaiʻi’s culture and spirit of aloha. Since rejoining the Shidler College of Business in 2019, the program has expanded resources for students and faculty: more than $1.5 million in new student scholarships have been introduced, the faculty nearly doubled in size, endowed fellowships were created, and the school reported improvements in rankings and student outcomes.

Those metrics translate into concrete career paths for graduates. The school reports that more than 90% of its graduates secure employment or pursue graduate study within three months of graduation, a placement rate that helps sustain Hawaiʻi’s tourism-dependent economy and provides a steady pipeline of trained professionals to resorts, tour operators and transportation services across the islands, including the Big Island.

The anniversary program will honor industry leaders and alumni who have shaped Hawaiʻi’s visitor industry. Elliot Mills (BBA ’93), CEO and managing partner of Hawaiʻi Hospitality Group, was named the 2026 Legacy in Tourism honoree. Kylie Matsuda-Lum (BS ’01), managing director of Kahuku Farms, will be inducted into the school’s Alumni Hall of Honor. Community nonprofit ClimbHI will receive the Distinguished Service Award in recognition of its contributions to workforce development.

For Big Island residents, the anniversary campaign underscores both opportunity and continuity. Scholarships funded through the fundraiser expand access to UH Mānoa programs for students across Hawaiʻi, while closer ties between the school and industry partners aim to place more local graduates into island jobs that rely on culturally aware, bilingual or Asia-Pacific-savvy professionals. The school’s emphasis on place-based curriculum and community engagement reinforces tourism practices that reflect local values and protect cultural and natural resources.

Looking ahead, the school’s yearlong program and the March 31 gala will mobilize alumni and industry dollars behind scholarships and student programs. For readers on the Big Island, the outcome will be measured in more scholarship dollars, a deeper talent pool for local employers, and continued investment in an industry central to the county’s economy.