TL Network makes strides in Canada
TED DAVIS
The number of TL Network advisors in Canada is on the increase.
In 2021, it added 47 agencies to the roster, and so far in 2022, 16 have joined. Even with the “churn” of some agencies closing their doors, the retention rate was 95%, said Christine James, VP of the Travel Leaders Network in Canada. And “we are on track to outpace 2019 booking trends,” said James.
Also, the number of suppliers is increasing, with 14 new Canadian preferred suppliers being added in 2021. These include ALTOUR Air, Exoticca Travel, Explora Journeys and Majestic Resorts to name some, plus destination partners Abu Dhabi, Greece and Korea.
About 80 Canadian advisors came to the recent EDGE International Conference by the Travel Leaders Network, amongst a total of 900 advisors from both countries. There were 25-plus Canadian suppliers in attendance, and they joined others, like cruise lines, airlines and destination reps, at a busy trade show at the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center.
Advisors also attended workshops held by suppliers, as well as an Experience Room staged by Travel Leaders, where agents were given tutorials on booking tools and other programs.
“This (the Experience Room) is an excellent opportunity to learn and ask questions with the senior people in each area,” said conference attendee Rick MacSwain, the managing director of Network Travel in Edmonton. “I had more in-depth questions about increasing our presence and tweaking our profile on Agent Profiler and on the CruisePRO program.”
He said his agency focuses on lifestyle travel experiences and so he attended the Luxury Leaders session, where he met “some fantastic suppliers” and discovered some exciting opportunities that he has already started promoting.
He said attendance at the EDGE conference is very important. “Providing an in-person event that encourages advisors to network and learn from each other is vital for growth.”
In the same mindset is Jodi Greenleaves, a travel advisor from Nexion Canada in Newfoundland, who said “I have always found it beneficial to attend EDGE each year. The opportunities to network with suppliers and fellow advisors is absolutely immeasurable. There is major value in investing the time and money to attend EDGE since the number of attendees is so high.
“After the past two years that the travel industry has endured, it was great to return to in-person gatherings and build upon both the personal and business connections that we’ve all missed as of late.”
Penny Martin of The Travel Agent Next Door is relatively new to the TL Network, but also realized the benefits of attendance.
“The conference gave us the opportunity to mix and mingle with the Travel Leaders team and get a better appreciation of some of the tools that are offered,” she said, pointing to Agent Profiler, Agent Profiler Plus and the new Super Agent program.
“I found the sessions had good content and the group shared best practices, which was very helpful. Networking with the suppliers is always great and their updates were valuable.”
