On Location: TravelOnly celebrates 50th anniversary at national conference in Vegas

Story by Michelle Froese

Ask any travel advisor why they joined TravelOnly, and one answer comes up repeatedly: family.

Why? Because when you’re a part of TravelOnly, you’re treated as such.

The family-owned business celebrated its 50th anniversary during the TravelOnly 2024 National Conference, from September 13^-16, at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

The event brought together its team of independent business owners and suppliers with “an itinerary designed to empower and inspire.” It also brought everyone together to celebrate.

PAX was invited to cover the fun and informative event on location.

“We’re selling dreams, and we’re proud to have been doing so for 50 years,” said TravelOnly president and CEO Gregory Luciani in his welcome remarks. “I get energized seeing those in the industry take a chance like my dad did all those years ago. It’s such a tribute to his legacy.”

Gregory’s father, the late Patrick Luciani, founded the company in Ontario in 1974 with his wife, Ann, TravelOnly’s CFO. Today, Ann and Gregory are a fierce and supportive duo, continuing to lead what’s considered to be the first coast-to-coast host agency in Canada — with nearly 800 travel advisors and counting.

“We've been a part of a major evolution within the travel space,” he said. “And it's times like this where you get to recognize the people who helped get you to where you were. The company has always been about our associates and how we can help grow their business.”

This decision continues to pay off for the company, which is also celebrating another record year in sales.

“I have so much respect for what Patrick built… probably without fully knowing how big this business would grow or how much love it would entail,” shared Diana Winters, VP of sales – Ontario, Exoticca. “I thank all of the Luciani’s for how they’ve contributed to its ongoing growth and success. It’s really special and unmatched in the industry.”

What’s trending?

 There’s perhaps no better way to celebrate 50 years in business together than by remembering when it started a half-century ago — with a ’70s-themed cocktail reception at Vegas’ OMNIA Nightclub.

This is how TravelOnly’s conference kicked off a weekend full of supplier presentations, one-on-one sessions and panels about the evolving industry and the latest travel trends, including a trade show highlighting its suppliers.

“Perspectives on travel and the expected experiences have changed over the last couple of years,” said Anne Blanchard, an Ontario-based TravelOnly advisor and training manager, during a panel. “There’s a real slowing down with a focus on family and connectedness — and uniqueness. People are looking for a memorable and immersive experience.” 

Ann Luciani agreed. “They want something better now. After the pandemic, people want to travel together, and it’s often now where they celebrate or hit milestones…maybe they want the deluxe cabin with a balcony this time, or they have a goal to visit every ballpark in America. This has become the goal. Taylor Swift doesn't hurt either,” she laughed.

According to one statistic mentioned during the conference, 72 per cent of millennials are shopping for experiences over things. There’s been an uptake in younger travellers and multi-generational trips, where grandparents, parents, and kids spend quality time travelling as a group.

“Some people now want to experience where they came from, thanks to services like Ancestry.com or what have you,” added Lee Zanello, who moderated a panel on trends. “They want to return to their family’s roots and learn about who they are.”

Zanello is the director of member relations with Ensemble Travel Group, a travel consortium. Ensemble Horizons 2024 follows the TravelOnly National Conference and will start with an opening session and cocktail party on Monday (September 16) at Resorts World Las Vegas.

The TravelOnly team (and PAX) will be at that event as well.

“Connecting the two events is an innovative trial this year,” explained Gregory. “It's the next step in what could become a valuable opportunity to piggyback two meaningful conferences. We have a good feeling that our suppliers and associates will gain a lot of value from this connection since they’re already in Las Vegas for one event, so why not benefit from two?”

Optimizing under uncertainty

 After four long years, it’s predicted the travel industry will fully recover, hitting its pre-2020 value. But that depends on many factors.

“The state of the industry is still in flux, and there are ultimate highs and lows,” said Gregory.

Although more travellers than ever want to cross off bucket-list destinations and share the experience with friends or family, one cannot ignore the news.

“There's a lot of disruption, whether it be labour, manufacturing, operational, or government issues. There are staffing issues at resorts. There’s an airline contract negotiation issue in Canada right now,” he added. “So, we have our fair share of challenges, but these are also the best of times.”

How so? According to Gregory, those travelling are typically requesting better, longer, and more expensive experiences.

They don’t want to settle. For agents, this can result in better commissions. What’s more: travellers want the service and quality that goes along with these trips.

“The disruption is emphasizing the importance of having a professional advisor when travelling. It provides reassurance and time-savings. No one wants to spend two hours on the phone with an airline because their flight is cancelled,” he explained. “Ultimately, corporate is lagging.”

The result: “The home-based agent, the leisure-focused advisor is hitting record revenues and morale is at an all-time high for the retailer. We’re unique; we were the first to recover from the pandemic and we’ll be the first to offer the services our clients deserve.”

For the Luciani family, it’s never been about the numbers. It’s about being there throughout the challenges and successes — just as a family should be.

This is what attracted Rachel Clark, a TravelOnly advisor based just outside of Edmonton, AB.

“I’ve only been a travel advisor for about a year now and chose TravelOnly because they’re family-owned and operated,” she shared. “I considered other agencies but felt treated like a number. Here, I couldn’t feel more supported or valued.”

Innovations for success

Innovation is one other characteristic TravelOnly does well.

“We always have something new in the works,” said Gregory. “As of November 1, we’ll be launching new cruise technology — a B2B and B2C platform consumers and agents can use to book cruises, which allows much more customization and flexibility.”

The host agency is also developing AI tools to support its advisors with content creation and trip customization.

What’s new? 

Several supplier updates were shared at the conference.

AmaWaterways says it’s experiencing an uptake in travellers who are unwilling to compromise.

“We’re seeing an explosion in consumer demand, thanks to our wonderful travel advisors,” said Kristin Karst, AmaWaterways’ co-founder and executive VP. “Why the demand? Because everyone lived from memories during the pandemic. Nobody knows what tomorrow will bring, so people want to take advantage of today. Nobody is willing to compromise their time.”

What to expect from AmaWaterways in 2025?

“Colombia!” shared Karst. “No one has been there before, so we are the proud pioneers for river cruises. And it’s not just about us building the ships for those locations, we also build the docking locations and infrastructure. It’s all very exciting!”

WestJet, meanwhile, is recognizing that travellers want elevated experiences that combine comfort and convenience.

“We recently launched Extended Comfort, which offers clients extra legroom, priority boarding, and early access to overhead bins,” said Melissa Peterson, account representative, WestJet. “So, this will give travellers a more comfortable, stress-free travel experience.”

The airline has also partnered with TELUS to give WestJet rewards members access to the inflight Wi-Fi system — at no cost.

“It’s going to revolutionize the guest experience,” added Sevi Anagnostis, key account manager, WestJet Vacations.

Exoticca was there to not only promote its affordable pricing, but also it’s new Family Collection. 

“Many thought they had to wait to become empty nesters before they could visit certain destinations, but that’s no longer the case,” said Cindy Chau, director of sales – BC, Exoticca. “We’re changing the game with our new Collection, so parents can bring their kids, enjoy the vacation of their dreams, and see the world.” 

Transat also has a new training initiative for advisors.

“We created a new program called Rookie Camp,” explained Lindsay Merrill, sales manager, Transat. “In April, we took over 100 travel agents from across Canada to Mexico for in-class training, roundtables, and panels. We also let the agents pick from our top six hotels to cover site inspections.”

The training was a success, so Transat is in the early planning stages for 2025. The team says it will launch a second round of Rookie Camp again next fall.  

Honouring success

TravelOnly concluded its National Conference with a 50-year anniversary celebration on September 15 at Caesars Palace’s Ballroom — which included its Loyalty Awards, honouring its travel advisors’ years of service.

One takeaway from this year’s event: how you treat others matters.

The Lucianis have lived by this mantra.

“We are committed to family values and committed to those in this business,” said Gregory. “This year is extra special to us and a milestone celebration. But we wouldn’t be here today without the hard work and dedication of all of our associates. We’re incredibly proud and grateful for everyone here.”

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