TravelOnly honours the industry’s finest (and we have the photos!)

TravelOnly rolled out the purple carpet over the weekend to celebrate the success of its associates and partners at the company’s third annual Achievement & Distinction Awards.

“It’s one of the few times of the year that we can get our travel agents from across the country, all in one spot with our supplier partners, to celebrate their growth and achievements,” Ian Elliott, TravelOnly’s vice-president of sales and marketing, told PAX at the dress-to-impress gala Saturday night (Jan. 26) at the Toronto Airport Marriott Hotel.

With a guest list of roughly 160 travel agents and 40 industry partners, the extravaganza not only recognized the crème de la crème of Canada’s travel industry, but also served as a precursor to the Brantford, ON-based agency’s upcoming 45th anniversary this September.

“We’re so proud of our associates,” Patrick Luciani, chairman and founder of TravelOnly, gushed as the evening fired up. “They work so very hard at connecting with their clients. In this business, there’s nothing like that personal relationship.”

Mr. Luciani started TravelOnly in 1974, originally under the name Luciani World Travel. Today, it is one of Canada’s largest host-based agencies that hires business professionals to become travel agents – a cross-country network that has amassed to more than 650 home-based associates.

The company has been a family-run enterprise since day one. Today, Patrick’s wife, Ann, serves as TravelOnly’s CFO, while their son, Gregory, is company president and CEO.

All three Lucianis, and their immediate family, welcomed guests with open arms Saturday night as they offered handshakes and hugs, posed for photos with attendees in front of a customized step and repeat (complete with a purple TravelOnly-branded carpet), and handed out hardware to the company’s top sales performers.

Spotted in the sea of excited guests was Lindsay Pearlman, co-president of Ensemble Travel Group, who was quick to acknowledge TravelOnly’s ongoing success.

“It’s a huge deal to survive 45 years in this industry as a family-run business. It’s something that you rarely see, regardless of where you are in the world,” Pearlman said, addressing the night’s attendees on a ballroom stage during dinner.

Pearlman noted that in the eight years that TravelOnly has partnered with Ensemble, the company has consistently made Ensemble’s top ten list every year.

Frank DeMarinis, president and CEO of TravelBrands, praised the Lucianis’ commitment to running a family business, an approach he knows well from working with his two brothers for more than 35 years.

“To be successful as a family-run business, you need to have passion. You need to be able to demonstrate that passion to your associates, become leaders, and show that you are committed to the organization as a whole,” DeMarinis told PAX.  “I can really appreciate what they’ve done for 45 years and I congratulate them.”

The celebration started in the late afternoon with a cocktail party and trade show featuring TravelOnly’s partners before segueing into an elegant dinner and awards celebration, which went late into the night.

Multiple awards were handed out, including special honours to those advisors who made this year’s President’s Club, a prestigious title that recognizes TravelOnly advisors who pass the million dollar mark in sales (80 per cent of which must be preferred suppliers) and serve as a mentor to other advisors. 

When asked what direction the travel industry is going, Patrick Luciani said cruising, river cruising, expeditions and deluxe markets are currently the “biggest movers” today. 

According to a recent report released by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), up to 30 million passengers are expected to embark on an ocean cruise in 2019. 

The same report also states that there will be 272 CLIA-approved ships in operation this year, with 18 new ships on the way.  

“It’s a real opportunity for our associates to make sure they have the right kind of business plan in place,” Mr. Luciani said. “The future is about expedition and experience.”  

Who else was spotted at TravelOnly’s awards bash Saturday night? See our exclusive photo gallery below!

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