Following Transat Distribution Canada’s annual conference in Toronto, we had an opportunity to ask General Manager Karine Gagnon some questions about the company’s ongoing developments, operations, team, and outlook for the future.
There has been slight growth in the number of agencies year over year, and TDC is always on the lookout for new members noted Gagnon, adding that, “in Canada’s English speaking markets the appeal of brand names like Marlin Travel is very strong. People want to do business with a brand they recognize and that they can trust.”
The strength of the TDC network lies notably in providing agency owners with support, Gagnon told us. “We have dedicated teams for each of our models, i.e., franchises and affiliates, corporate agencies and the agent@home program. Plus, an administrative and logistical support team.
“We combine opportunities to exchange one-on-one with our owners to conduct business reviews and discuss their specific challenges and opportunities, and we also create opportunities to meet with several owners as a group so that everyone can benefit from exchanging on best practices.”
For example, TDC has forums for exchange, so that agency owners can benefit fully from the experiences of their peers.
Gagnon noted that TDC will be introducing new initiatives to enable its members to benefit even more from this networking potential.
“Firstly, with the TDC Leaders Forum, a series of meetings lasting from 2 to 5 days that we’ll be holding every year, once in Canada and once at destination. We had a sneak preview on the Friday afternoon of the Toronto conference when we organized a moderated conversation about human resources, staff retention, recruitment, etc., led by a human resources specialist, Annie Boilard, President of Annie’s HR Network (Réseau d’Annie RH).
“The other initiative is the return of our Franchises and Affiliate Advisory Council, which was called the FAC & MAC. We’re bringing it back in a 2.0 version, and it is now called TDC Lab, a sort of think tank where we’ll discuss specific subjects with our owners to get their point of view, whether it’s for the development of new programs, or to discuss topical issues, like sustainable tourism or AI for example. We’re aiming for a group of around 8 to 10 people, and we’ll have 4 meetings a year; 3 virtual and one face-to-face.”
Following their Annual Conferences, TDC will also launch a marketing consultation for its owners and managers to determine how satisfied they are with the existing marketing tools and to get their suggestions for future tools and initiatives.
We asked about the personnel changes at TDC in the past year, both promotions within the company and the recent hiring of Dianne Jackson as Director of Franchise and Affiliate Members.
After Susan Bowman, VP of Marketing and Industry relations, retired last spring, Gagnon said she got to thinking about the structure of the team, and how to organize the teams to be more efficient.
“I am really happy with the mix of people on the leadership team, an ideal mix of newcomers who arrive with a different perspective, and with people from our network, who changed roles and bring their baggage with them.”
The changes within the organization have Anthony Mormina recently promoted to senior director of sales and operations. Mormina basically overviews all TDC’s corporate travel agency network, Transat Travel and Voyages Transat agencies and our agent@home program for Canada.
Colette Girard was appointed to Mormina’s former position as director, Franchise and Affiliate member for Quebec.
Sandra Wesson, director of products and industry relations, has been with TDC for many years but is now part of the Leadership team.
New additions to the team include, Marc Pelletier appointed last May as senior director of marketing, communications, and events. “He has a strong background in marketing roles in franchise organizations, but outside of the travel industry, so his view is precious.” Said Gagnon.
“And finally, Dianne Jackson officially joined TDC on Monday before the Toronto Conference as Director, Franchise and Affiliate Member for English Canada, so Ontario, the West, and Atlantic Canada. We have a really solid team in place, to best support our members.”
In May TDC introduced the Digital Gift Card Program, which enables individuals to purchase gift cards directly online without the intervention of an advisor. We asked if this has this been a success so far?
The answer was clear, “Yes, very! We have seen a 40% increase in gift card sales over the same period last year!
“And when you consider that 41% of consumers try a business for the first time after receiving a gift card, TDC’s new zaluna travel gift card program is a powerful marketing tool for attracting and eventually retaining new customers.
“Finally, numerous studies show that the average invoice of customers who use a gift card is often higher, a great opportunity for you to prove your added value as a travel professional by enhancing your customer’s stay.”
TDC will be leveraging this new and improved program in many ways in the coming weeks and months, by making a lot of noise in the next few weeks, said Gagnon.
“First, we have a contest aimed at consumers, to take advantage of the holiday season, which is one of the most lucrative for the gift card market. We will also be targeting the corporate market, notably via the Globe and Mail website, to encourage companies to buy zaluna travel gift cards to reward their employees.”
Karine Gagnon is obviously very positive about TDC’s current and future prospects. Clearly she is confident the company has built on its strengths while implementing new initiatives and building a solid operational team to fulfil current requirements and grow the company for the future.