Christine James is celebrating 25 years at Travel Leaders Network; TTAND added to its trophy case; TRAVELSAVERS CANADA members cruised in South America; and Virtuoso revealed soaring sales data.

Travel Leaders Network

Travel Leaders Network Vice President Christine James is celebrating 25 years with the organization. Since joining the company in 1999 as Business Development Manager, she was subsequently promoted to the position of Director of National Sales, Canada, responsible for all in-market sales activity, including account management and recruitment.

In 2004, James was named Senior Director of Industry Relations responsible for negotiating and managing all Canadian supplier partnerships. In June 2008, she was promoted to Country Manager, Canada, and in 2010, assumed her current position, VP, Canada, where she continues to successfully manage the Canada operation, where she leads a team of four, who manage all aspects of the member agency experience in Canada. Under her leadership, Travel Leaders Network has grown to over 600 Canadian members who have access to over 100 supplier partnerships.

“Working with Christine is a privilege,” said Roger E. Block, President, Travel Leaders Network. “Over her 25 years, she has successfully led the Canadian market, and today, she plays a tremendous role.”

On a personal level, Jame says she has explored 92 countries – and intends to make it to 100 by the end of 2025.

TTAND

The Travel Agent Next Door recently received their STAR Awards trophies in recognition of their hard-work and success in selling Sandals and Beaches Resorts and recently TTAND officially took possession of the awards at their offices in Toronto.

“On behalf of all of our agent partners, we are very proud to receive these awards,” said Flemming Friisdahl, TTAND Founder and CEO.

The Travel Agent Next Door was named Top Beaches Resorts Travel Agency in Canada, this in addition this year to joining the exclusive Million Dollar Club for top producing agencies around the world, announced at a ceremony earlier this year at Sandals Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

The Travel Agent Next Door was also named to the Best of the Best for top producing agencies across Canada.

TRAVELSAVERS Canada

Reflecting South America as an in-demand destination, top TRAVELSAVERS agency owners recently cruised from Rio de Janeiro to Montevideo recently on board a private charter of the Atlas World Navigator in recognition of their sales success.

From cosmopolitan cities to historic towns, the Elite advisors enjoyed immersive experiences throughout Brazil and Uruguay. In the resort town of Buzios, they enjoyed a day at a celebrated beach club, with a local barbecue lunch and high-energy music. The former gold rush town of Paraty offered colonial charm and lush natural scenery. Ilhabela and Punta del Este are renowned as tropical paradises, which provided opportunities for water sports as well as pure relaxation.

“We were thrilled to bring our top-performing agencies together for this one-of-a-kind retreat as interest in South America continues to rise,” said Jane Clementino, Sr. VP and GM of TRAVELSAVERS Canada. “Not only did we celebrate our advisors’ outstanding achievements, but we also offered them firsthand insights into highly sought-after destinations. This retreat allowed advisors to deepen connections with our preferred partners and uncover new ways to enhance the exceptional travel experiences they design for their clients.”

Virtuoso

At its recent 2024 Chairman’s Event in Slovenia, recognizing its highest-performing travel agency members, Virtuoso’s Executive VP David Kolner presented trends and insights tracked from the network’s sales data. He revealed that global network year-to-date sales soared to a record high, tracking a 14% increase compared to the same time period last year and that future travel booked for 2025 and 2026 is also up by 30%, compared to future bookings made in 2023 for one to two years out.

Specifically, he said, future sales over $50,000 for 2025 and 2026 have increased by 42%, with cruise-specific sales in the same price range up by 47% and safari sales up 44%.

Kolner also discussed highlights of Virtuoso’s 2025 Luxe Report, a survey of over 2,200 advisors from 58 countries, which revealed next year’s top global destinations, travel trends and destinations on the rise. He said Luxe Report responses showed that 50% of surveyed advisors anticipate that travel demand will slightly increase in 2025, and 54% anticipate that client spend will slightly increase.

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