The Travel Corporation Says Canadian Advisors Will Benefit From Reorganization

Difficult decisions were made in The Travel Corporation’s global reorganization of its tour brands.

They were particularly evident in Canada, where high-profile brand presidents Wolf Paunic (Trafalgar), Brad Ford (Insight Vacations and Luxury Gold) and Sheralyn Berry (Contiki) The Travel Corporation (TTC) have departed. Other positions were also terminated.

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But Guy Young, the company’s Chief Trade Engagement Officer who served the company in Canada for many years, says Canadian travel advisors will benefit from a restructuring that aims to create efficiencies and better differentiate the company’s touring brands.

To recap, a new division called TTC Tour Brands will now act as a single source for sales, marketing and operations for Trafalgar, Insight Vacations, Luxury Gold, Costsaver, Contiki, Brendan Vacations, and Adventure World Travel.

TTC Tour Brands will be led by Gavin Tollman, CEO of the newly created division, along with veteran execs Ulla Hefel Böhler as Chief Operating Officer, Dee Marrocco as Chief Marketing Officer and Duncan Robertson as Chief Digital Officer. Adam Armstrong remains CEO of Contiki.

The United States and Canada will be combined to create a new North America sales and marketing region under the direction of Melissa da Silva. Previously president of TTC brands Trafalgar, Costsaver, Brendan Vacations, Contiki, and Adventure World Travel in the United States, da Silva now adds TTC brands Insight Vacations and Luxury Gold, as well as the Canadian market, to her portfolio.

In addition, two new roles have been created to support TTC Tour Brands, including an Account Manager for Canada and Vice President of National Accounts, North America. Jeff Element will remain in his role as President, The Travel Corporation Canada.

In an interview with TravelPulse Canada, Young said the departures of Paunic, Ford and Berry and others are “in no way a criticism of their contribution to TTC and our businesses in Canada.”

He added that the new structure will “create more efficiency and avoid overlaps in roles and responsibilities,” with a single point of contact representing all of the company’s touring brands.

Young says the main goals of the restructuring are to better maintain the integrity of the brands, more firmly establish the differentiation between them and to deliver the right messaging for the right brands.” It will also “eliminate internal competition and any confusion in the marketplace about each brand’s key attributes.”

TTC says its efforts to make it easier for agents extend beyond the staff reorganization. In June it will launch a single sign-on agent booking portal, where agent partners can look at and book all TTC tour brands in one place. All touring brands will use the same reservation system, CRM and telephony.

“There are huge efficiencies on the back-end technical side,” Young told TravelPulse Canada. “We will be more efficient and more nimble.

Hit hard by the global pandemic like so many travel companies, The Travel Corporation is expecting a surge of demand as recovery continues. It believes its guided approached that takes care of so many details for guests will be more relevant than ever as travellers emerge from the COVID cocoon and tentatively step back out into the world.

Young says he has been speaking with key Canadian travel partners and says response to the changes have “by and large been incredibly positive.”

He adds that the company will ensure that “Canada has their voice in the discussion” and the company will “give our Canadian partners a lot of love.”

Young adds that travel advisors have always been and will remain key to TTC’s future plans.

“We will continue to invest in their success. This reorganization is in great part, a recognition of the increasingly important role the travel advisor community has demonstrated they play in helping consumers navigate travel in today’s world. Travel advisors are necessary, and we are creating a better structure to serve them well.”