VIDEO: “We have to look at the now”: TravelBrands’ Nathalie Tanious unpacks 145 years, brand refresh & challenges

Think of it as a travel company – 145 years in the making.

TravelBrands brought together some of the industry’s best Tuesday night (May 12), hosting a party in Toronto to mark the collective growth and success of four of its brands: Intair, Encore Cruises, Holiday House, and FunSun Vacations.

Holiday House and FunSun started 70 years ago, in 1956; Intair, the air consolidator, launched in 1986, 40 years ago; while Encore Cruises set sail in 1991. It’s celebrating 35 years in the business.

“They’re pretty incredible milestones, if you add up all those numbers,” said Bruce Lidberg, senior director of sales at TravelBrands, addressing a lively crowd of travel advisors, agency owners, host agency and consortium executives, suppliers and team members at the city’s Lake Ontario-facing Boulevard Club.

Lidberg wasted no time thanking everyone in the room. “You have all played a big part in our success,” he said. “Without all of you, we would not be here.”

Brand refresh

The night also served as the launch event for TravelBrands’ new brand identity and tagline.

At the heart of it is a new logo: two airplane windows, overlapping with intersection points, representing destinations on a map.

It symbolizes “the magical moment of looking out at the world, before the journey begins,” explained Sam Youssef, senior vice president – marketing and partnerships at TravelBrands.

Beyond the window is “the powerhouse” of TravelBrands, an integrated ecosystem of packages, platforms, partnerships, and tools built to empower travel advisors, said Youssef.

The company’s new colour palate – using shades such as sky blue, deep ocean, cloud white, golden hour and black sand – evoke a sense of “trust, clarity and exploration,” Youssef said.

Meanwhile, TravelBrands’ new tagline, “Your Window To The World,” ties it altogether.

“For years, our tagline was focused on giving you access to the world, but today, we evolve that vision and become your window to your world,” said Youssef.

It’s about “inspiring Canadians to dream bigger, travel further and to experience more of what this incredible world has to offer.”

“Our new identity reflects who we are today and who we’ll be tomorrow. It’s modern, global, connected and bold,” said Youssef.

Nathalie Tanious, president and CEO of H.I.S-Red Label Vacations, parent company of TravelBrands, also took to the stage to thank the company’s supporters.

“You’ve believed in us and you’re loyal to us through thick and thin,” she said, further thanking the TravelBrands team who have been “pivotal and fundamental” to the company’s success.

Nathalie Tanious one-on-one

PAX was on the scene last night, with its cameras rolling.

We caught up with Nathalie Tanious to discuss TravelBrands’ 145-year milestone, the company’s refreshed identity and how it’s navigating some of the challenges that are shaping the travel industry today.

Watch the interview here! To see more pictures from the event, visit and "like" PAX's Facebook page here. 

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