Ever wonder what the head of a national travel conglomerate dreams about for Christmas? Since we’re pretty sure it isn’t sugar plums, we thought we’d ask Nathalie Tanious, the newly minted President and CEO of HIS-Red Label Vacations Inc., which operates TravelBrands and its many familiar tour divisions (among them Sunquest, Intair, Encore Cruises, and Exotic Journeys), as well as such retail brands as Red Tag, Merit, and itravel2000.
Tanious has had a stellar 2023 to date. Personally, she was named by her company’s Japanese owners to take the helm at HIS-Red Label, succeeding the retiring Frank DeMarinis. And then there was the company’s eighth annual charity golf tournament in the fall, which raised over $300,000 for the SickKids Foundation with the help of many industry friends and partners.
On the business side, TravelBrands launched new and improved Access+ and GiGi (Intair’s air reservation platform that was developed exclusively to help agents grow their air business).
“It’s been a very busy year, and to be honest, we’re just getting started thanks to a renewed team energy and exciting new strategies still ahead!” Tanious says. “As we see travel reaching new heights, we’re fully prepared for increased innovation and expansion.
“As always, one of our primary goals is to have tools tailored to agents, like Access+ and GiGi, revolutionizing how they navigate and book travel. We’re dedicated to transforming Encore Cruises into a fully bilingual platform to better support French-speaking agents. In addition, we’re strengthening our strategic partnerships with exceptional suppliers and tourism boards to bring even more value to the travel agent community.
“Ultimately, I believe travel is one of the greatest opportunities we have in life, and this passion pushes us to keep on making it better for travel agents and travellers alike.”
So, what does someone with so much on the go want for Christmas this year? Our enquiring mind wanted to know – and Tanious was happy to oblige, admitting, “In my stocking this year, I’ve got quite the wish list!”
It includes:
- Lots of snow and cold weather to entice travellers to pack their bags and book a vacation!
- A jet lag eraser so that everyone arrives at their dream destination refreshed and ready for their adventure.
- For agents to keep collecting lots of TravelBrands Loyalty Rewards points that they can redeem for incredible merchandise and gift cards.
- A year of growth, unity, and boundless opportunities for our team, agents, partners, travellers, and loved ones.
And one more thing, she laughed: “You know, it wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t have a wish for my own magical getaway! I guess I’ll have to wait and see where Santa books me to next.”