by Jen Mallia
Last updated: 12:25 PM ET, Mon May 4, 2026
The Trevello Building Bridges conference that kicked off May 3, 2026 in Belfast took an inspirational note, with CEO Zeina Gedeon delivering a keynote address that emphasized increasing numbers and endless opportunity for travel advisors to grow their business.
“In uncertain times, travelers don’t want an algorithm. They want an advisor,” Gedeon told the audience, to a standing ovation. “The world is shifting. So are we. And the bridges we build today are what make us unbeatable.”
Gedeon backed up her statement with hard data. In 2025, Trevello advisors saw 9 percent total sales growth and 7 percent commission growth. This year is showing signs of continuing the trajectory, with Q1 results showing sales up 8 percent, commissions up 10 percent, and average invoice value climbing to $2,977, up 5 percent year-over-year.
The statistic that might be more surprising though, is the one Gedeon cited regarding how many Canadians are relying on advisors. In a robust travel market (Canadian outbound leisure travel is a $24 billion industry) only 31 percent of travellers use a travel advisor. That means 69 percent of travellers are winging it on their own.
“The market is enormous. The clients are motivated. The only question,” Gedeon told the room, “Is whether you show up.”
This presents a huge opportunity for advisors, especially as the travel landscape continues to be a complicated place.
Again, the numbers back it up. Canada–US flight bookings are down 38 percent versus last year. Over 60 percent of Canadians are rethinking US travel entirely, a shift Gedeon called “structural, not temporary.” The demand hasn’t disappeared; it’s redirected: Mexico up 29 percent, Portugal up 41 percent, Spain up 35 percent, Japan up 47 percent.. Airlines are already restructuring routes to meet that demand.
“This is your generational moment,” she said. “Clients are actively asking for guidance on non-US alternatives. The advisor who masters these markets first wins the decade.”
Sessions at the conference are aimed at helping the more than 200 advisors in attendance make the most of the industry as it shifts. Topics include everything from booking curve strategy and generational client psychology, to social media as a storefront, sustainability as a differentiator, and high-growth verticals: wellness travel, bleisure, domestic Canada, and adventure, that are redefining what advisors sell and who they sell it to.
Gedeon closed on an inspirational line that resounded with those who take it to heart. “The world is uncertain. Your value is not.”
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