The Markham, Ont.-based travel provider GLP Worldwide (formerly GLP Worldwide Expedition Travel and Tours) is spreading the news about its new offerings, kicking off with presentations to travel agents this fall.

At a recent event, held at Langdon Hall, an elegant Relais & Chateaux property near Cambridge, Ont. (about an hour from Toronto), you could hear audible oohs and aahs from attendees as GLP co-founder Gordon Dreger outlined new additions to GLP’s well-curated lineup of experiences. Not one to follow the pack, the company is featuring off-the-beaten track destinations that pop up less often in travel brochures. Think Greenland, Namibia, Borneo, Madagascar, Mauritius, The Silk Road, Tahiti and the Marquesas islands.

The zig while others zag approach is intentional. Instead of mega cruise ships, GLP showcases mega-yachts, for example, with just 30 to 80 passengers. And rather than focusing on the oft-travelled Rheine or Seine-based itineraries, its roster includes ones sailing along Myanmar’s Irrawaddy or Spain and Portugal’s Guadalquivir.

 “We’re not about mass market product,” explained Dreger. “It doesn’t fit with our Canadian customers who are very well travelled and already have a good sense of the world. They’ve been to all the usual places. They looking for something different, more experiential.” Many are repeat GLP customers, now seeking something truly unique from a company they know and trust.

“A year and a half ago, we began to think about making some changes at GLP,” says Alan Law, director of sales and marketing. “It was time. We wanted to build on what we had, yet kick it up a notch with new travel opportunities our customers could get really excited about.”

That meant bringing some fresh blood into the mix in terms of its suppliers. GLP, founded in 1999, scoured the world to find the best suppliers for its clientele. As a result, it has now added well-established ones, such as France’s CroisiEurope river cruises and luxury barges). They’ll join long-time favourites like Hurtigruten, the Norwegian cruise line that boasts (accurately) it offers “world’s most beautiful voyage.”

Another part of GLP’s makeover is to create the best range of tools possible for travel agents. “The agents we work with are our experts in the field. With the type of multi-faceted trips we offer, customers don’t just jump online and book them. They want someone who is knowledgeable to answer their questions. Our tools are designed to empower, from a dedicated agent portal (coming soon) to pre-recorded webinars with expedition leaders, customized client mailers to company-led information sessions.”

And gone are the super-thick brochures. GLP Worldwide has zoned in on four, easy-to-use ones focused on key areas, such as River, Rail, Ocean and Expedition. They take more of a highlights approach, instead of trying to squeeze everything in using teeny tiny type. Customers these days are a savvy bunch that knows they can find the information they need online. Still, there’s something enticing about flipping through a beautiful looking brochure that can be shown to friends to say, “Look where I’m going!”

It’s a brave new world for GLP as they set a course in a fresh direction – one that travel agents and customers are sure to be happy to get on board with. 

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