In less than 10 years, The Travel Agent Next Door has become the big kid on the block.
At its annual VIP Supplier Event at Toronto’s Royal York Hotel, TTAND founder Flemming Friisdahl announced that 2023 sales will top $400 million – “the most that any host agency has ever done in Canada.”
That’s a huge jump from $265 million in 2022 and $165 million in pre-pandemic 2019. For 2024, the goal is to top the $500 million mark.
TTAND preferred suppliers take a bow. (Photo Credit: Bruce Parkinson)
Membership continues to expand rapidly, too, with Friisdahl telling TravelPulse Canada that it will likely top 1,300 by year-end. The TTAND team that supports those agents is also on the grow – now totalling 63, with 37 full-time staff in Canada and another 26 in India providing IT and other support services.
One area that hasn’t seen the same kind of growth is TTAND’s list of preferred and approved suppliers. Friisdahl says the company continues to take a “less is more” approach to supplier partnership, choosing to focus on just over 40 companies – 24 preferred and 17 approved.
Those 24 preferred suppliers represented 54% of total 2024 sales, while another 29% went to the 17 approved suppliers. That means 83% of that $400 million in sales was shared between preferred and approved vendors. The remaining 17% was split between a total of 600 travel companies.
“When we started I went out to suppliers and said: ‘I’ve got no sales. I’ve got no agents. Can you give me your best deals?’ Now most of you have been with us for the past nine years. Every one of you helped make us what we are,” said Friisdahl.
Tony Saunders, CFO for H.I.S. Canada Holdings, with Michael Friisdahl. (Photo Credit: Bruce Parkinson)
Another Friisdahl was in the house for the event, Flemming’s brother Michael, a long-time senior travel executive who went on to lead sports giant Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment before becoming Executive Chairman of Signature Aviation in 2022.
“If you’re on that preferred list, trust me, you want to stay there,” Michael Friisdahl said, noting that TTAND has seen more than 30% compounded annual growth during its nearly 10 years, including the two COVID years. “I couldn’t be more proud of what Flemming, Rhonda and the team have achieved.”
Rhonda Stanley receives the North American Educational Excellence award from Diane Petras, president of The Travel Institute. (Photo Credit: Bruce Parkinson)
Rhonda is Rhonda Stanley, Flemming’s spouse and Vice President, Talent Development for TTAND. She enjoyed a very special surprise during the event, when Diane Petras, CTIE, president of The Travel Institute, came on stage to announce The Travel Agent Next Door as the 2023 recipient of its annual Educational Excellence Award for the travel industry.
The award from the non-profit education leader recognizes organizations and individuals that demonstrate a “significant, ongoing commitment to quality education for travel advisors and make a substantial, meaningful investment to ensure delivery of education to the ultimate benefit of travellers and the industry.”
“Congratulations to Rhonda and the entire training team at The Travel Agent Next Door; they have developed a winning program that supports their business, agents, suppliers, and very importantly, travellers,” said Petras.
The Travel Institute leader praised TTAND’s “comprehensive approach for agent education at various career stages, measurable objectives, and a holistic focus on business needs as well as agent well-being.”
Flemming Friisdahl said another milestone for TTAND this year was being named top agency member of 2022 by Travel Leaders Network (TLN). TTAND has only been a member of the consortium for a year-and-a-half, and already represents the largest user of TLN print marketing.
Flemming Friisdahl chats with Air Canada's Jamie Fox and Tracey Bellamy. (Photo Credit: Bruce Parkinson)
Friisdahl and TTAND Vice President, Travel Agent Services Penny Martin have just returned from a whirlwind of roadshows, visiting 14 cities in 10 days and greeting more than 500 member agents. Friisdahl says being out there is essential.
“We continue to grow, but we continue to invest. No agent is a number to us. We still call every primary agent every three months to see how they’re doing and answer any questions. That will never stop.”
A 2024 milestone for TTAND was completing French translation for all websites and marketing materials, something Friisdahl says is unique in the host agency market.
The group is putting a focus on growing its Quebec base, which is currently around 20 agents, with more in the pipeline. “I’m hoping to do a roadshow event in Montreal next year. I’m really excited about that,” Friisdahl said.
TTAND made a splash at the end of its last annual conference, when it announced that next year’s event will be held in Jordan, in partnership with G Adventures. TTAND has chartered a 787 Dreamliner to carry conference goers – and the event sold out in less than a minute. As well as 260 registered agents, there are 125 on the wait-list.
Despite the current troubles in the Middle East, Friisdahl says he’s “very confident” the trip will go forward.
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