This week: Travel Leaders Network, Virtuoso, Carnival Cruise Line, Globus Family of Brands, TTC Tour Brands, and Brazil’s tourist board, Embratur.
NEWS
Travel Leaders Network
Travel Leaders reports that the consortium welcomed over 40 new agencies in Canada in 2024 that collectively generated $128.4 million in overall sales. The new members span a wide range of specialties, including luxury, corporate, family and group travel.
“While our recruitment has always been strong, 2024 marks our highest number of new member agencies to date across North America,” said Travel Leaders Network president John Lovell at an event in Toronto last week.
Lovell touted TLN’s award-winning SNAP online booking tool for car and hotel bookings, with air bookings soon to be launched in Canada; Cruise Complete and EmPower Cruise booking tools designed for seamless cruise reservations; and the Agent Profiler lead generation platform amongst the organization’s many attributes.
“Because of our size and scale, we’re able to offer our members options tailored to their unique needs,” Lovell added. “Agencies have the flexibility to utilize everything we offer or select what works best for them. That’s the key to our success… and with a 97% retention rate, they stay because we deliver real value that directly boosts their bottom line.”
Virtuoso
Virtuoso has launched an Ultra-High-Net-Worth (UHNW) business division, signaling what the network says is a “bold step into the elite sphere of luxury goods and lifestyle,” and further complementing the organization’s longstanding position in luxury travel. The business unit will be led by new GM Shelby Donley.
Virtuoso intends to foster collaborations with top luxury brands across jewellery, watches, fashion, art, culinary, wine and spirits, luggage, automotive, wellness and more.
By expanding its partnerships to reach new industries, Virtuoso says it is strengthening its influence in delivering bespoke offerings through its network of elite travel advisors and best-in-class partners in a way that specifically caters to the ultra-affluent.
Virtuoso COO Brad Bourland says, “The establishment of our UHNW division marks a transformative moment for Virtuoso, enabling us to build stronger relationships with ultra-luxury brands and deliver an unparalleled level of service to our most discerning travellers… This is a pivotal step in our ongoing commitment to providing extraordinary value to our members, advisors and partners.”
AGENT SUPPORT
Globus Family of Brands
Underlining its “We’ve Got U” platform, the Globus family of brands says it is doubling down on its commitment to travel advisors in 2025 with an expansive slate of in-person educational opportunities designed to “inform, inspire and ignite success” for advisors across Canada and the US.
On tap are a combination of events and FAM trips that include the Cruise Director & Tour Director Road Show this month; new Executive Summits, including, for the first time, networking and education opportunities for top-performing agency owners (Toronto and Vancouver are included in 2025); and the “FAM-ulous” FAM-Trip Program,” which will see, 1,500 travel advisors invited to experience Globus tours and Avalon river cruises firsthand.
For more information about the programs and events, visit www.traveladvisorportal.ca.
Embratur
Embratur (Brazilian Agency for International Tourism Promotion) has launched the Brasil Travel Specialist platform, an online tool that offers full support to travel agents and tour operators.
By registering on the platform, tourism professionals anywhere in the world can become an expert in Brazil: staying up to date with news about Brazilian destinations and experiences; engaging in personalized training; and gaining access to focused trade materials.
After completing the training, participants receive a certificate that recognizes them as a certified Brazil specialist, with access to exclusive benefits, such as the possibility of participating FAM tours.
The launch was carried out in partnership with LATAM Airlines, which is offering trips to Rio de Janeiro, Salvador and Manaus. Those registering on the platform by March will be entered into a draw to win tickets.
For more information, visit brasiltravelspecialist.com. The content is also available via an app for IOS and Android.
INCENTIVES
Carnival Cruise Line
Through March 12, Carnival’s ‘Book More, Earn Big’ promotion – part of the company’s Travel Agents Rock! advisor loyalty program – offers agents one-of-a-kind rewards like a chance to win an Early-Access Giveaway Trip for an exclusive first look at Celebration Key, Carnival’s newest private destination opening in July.
Carnival is also offering up to 1,000 Loyalty Rocks! bonus points, which can be redeemed for travel incentives, gift cards and Carnival swag. The more bookings made, the more points travel advisors receive, as well as additional entries entered for the Celebration Key trip giveaway.
For more info, go to www.GoCCL.com.
TTC Tour Brands
By booking just one couple per week across TTC Tour Brands’ portfolio of six distinct brands – Insight Vacations, Brendan Vacations, Costsaver, Luxury Gold, Contiki and Trafalgar – travel advisors could earn $75K in annual commissions, the company points out.
“At TTC Tour Brands, we’re not just offering travel products – we’re delivering a partnership rooted in our partners’ success. By booking one couple each week across the portfolio, advisors can book over 100 guests for the year. And with an average booking value of CDN$4,810 and an average commission of 15%, advisors can earn over $75k in 2025,” explains TTC Tour Brands SVP of Sales Whitney Ramirez,
She adds that the company helps advisors with such selling features as sales offers, Global Tour Rewards program, and a comprehensive toolkit with marketing materials, learning modules and webinars, FAMs, and more.
Advisors can learn more and get the full guide to earning $75k by visiting: https://agents.ttc.com/
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