"The Pursuit of Passion" is the theme of the 24th TravelOnly conference, and there was no shortage of it in the room at Secrets The Vine Cancun, as president Greg Luciani and his mother and vice president Ann Luciani opened the event.
But for TravelPulse Canada, a demonstration of the passion of TravelOnly members came the day before, when a six-hour-plus flight delay sent a group of conference goers into the Plaza Premium Lounge at YYZ to kill some time in comfort.
TravelPulse Canada's Bruce Parkinson was welcomed to spend much of Sunday with a welcoming group from TravelOnly during a long airport delay. (Bruce Parkinson)
"Welcome to the family," said Pat Probert, a TravelOnly top-seller, as he encouraged me to join a group of 10 TravelOnly associates. We spent the day in a comfortable mix of work and conversation, and the passion of these advisors for selling travel - and for the host agency they belong to - was very apparent.
"TravelOnly is an awesome company," said Probert. "We really are a team, a family. The camaraderie and support for each other is amazing."
After the pain and trauma of 2020 and 2021, travel has come roaring back, but the pandemic had another unexpected impact that is driving the high energy level at the conference.
"There has been a fundamental shift in the consumer attitude and understanding of our value," said Ann Luciani. "People are recognizing the added value compared to booking online. Travel is a people business and we are a strong and vibrant community that supports and uplifts each other."
Greg Luciani began his opening remarks with an admission. "Twenty years ago I never thought the independent agent would be this prominent. In the consumer's mind - and the suppliers - we were a distant, distant afterthought. Now, suppliers are building programs for you. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
TravelOnly grew out of Luciani World Travel, the agency founded in 1974 by Greg's father and Ann's partner Patrick, a well-loved industry figure and pioneer of the home-based travel agency model. Patrick passed away in April 2020.
TravelOnly now boasts 750 associates across the country, and is nearing a goal of $300 million in annual sales. During the pandemic, Greg Luciani had to shift from being a business leader to an amateur psychologist, spending much of his time doing motivational talks to a beleaguered group of associates whose incomes had been devastated by a near-global shutdown of travel.
That included motivational Zoom talks every Monday, and Luciani says some associates have told him they were a big factor in getting through the crisis.
Today, Greg Luciani sees travel as therapy for the damage done to consumers' psyches during the time of lockdown. "I believe that the more you travel, the happier you're going to be."
Secrets the Vine Cancun hosted the 2023 TravelOnly National Conference. (Bruce Parkinson)The year 2022 brought TravelOnly back to 2019 levels, and 2023 promises to exceed the previous peak. That can bring its own challenges, but they're largely positive ones.
The TravelOnly president says recruiting new members to cope with increased demand is getting easier, but interested entrants are a diverse group, requiring flexibility in training and onboarding.
New entrants range from young people with no experience or travel training to long-time travel sellers with a book of business, looking to move from a bricks-and-mortar situation to a home-based approach. There's another segment of people looking to change career and combine a passion for travel with an income base.
Each group requires different levels and types of support. Greg Luciani says the company is investing more in training, support, technology, marketing and staff. "Customers want to deal with experts," he says. "We need to offer them consultants and advisors, not agents. Energy and drive can't be taught, but we can take care of the rest."
There's no shortage of supplier sponsors and attendees at the 2023 TravelOnly Conference, reflecting the travel industry renaissance. Platinum sponsors are Viking Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line, while Gold sponsors include Hyatt Inclusive Collection (parent company for the host resort), WestJet Vacations, TravelBrands, Air Canada Vacations, Royal Irish Tours, Transat, Royal Caribbean Cruises, Seabourn, Xcaret, Regent Seven Seas, Sunwing and Ensemble.
Brian Joseph, BDM for the Hyatt Inclusive Collection, brings his high energy to a presentation for TravelOnly members. (Bruce Parkinson)With sales up 120% year-over-year and $12.5 million in commissions paid out so far in 2023, there's lots to celebrate for TravelOnly in Cancun.
"This is a sales conference," says Greg. "The goal is to help associates drive the bottom line. Our ambition as a company was never to be the biggest or loudest, but to be the most profitable in the business. Peer-to-peer support between agents is the greatest strength of this organization, and we have a great opportunity to gain new market share. It's time to get in there and strike."
After a supplier trade show tomorrow, the 6th annual TravelOnly Achievement and Distinction Awards - aka the TADA Awards - will celebrate associates and supplier partners. Look for more coverage in the days to come.
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