Tisson Travel Group expands into premium market with luxury division, training program

Tisson Travel Group has expanded into the luxury travel market with the launch of two initiatives designed to elevate both client experiences and advisor expertise.

Founder Tannis Dyrland from Calgary, AB has unveiled “Tisson Luxe,” a dedicated luxury division focused on premium travel partnerships and bespoke itineraries, as well as the “Tisson Luxe Mindset,” a structured training program aimed at equipping advisors with the business and strategic skills needed to succeed in the high-end segment.

Together, the programs signal a new chapter for the Alberta-based network, reinforcing a commitment to mentorship, entrepreneurship, and community-building among travel professionals.

In an interview with PAX, Dyrland underscored the need to grow in the luxury travel segment.

“We have a few agents who are heavily invested in that space,” she said. “We want to offer them better contracts and options for their clients.”

Tisson Luxe, available exclusively to qualified advisors within the Tisson network, is powered by TRAVELSAVERS’ Affluent Traveller Collection, which connects specialists with luxury suppliers to deliver bespoke experiences, curated itineraries, and exclusive amenities.

The aim is to serve an “elevated clientele,” Dyrland explained.

READ MORE: On Location: “This is a rocket ship”: Suppliers, agents light up Tisson Travel launch in Calgary

Tisson Luxe is designed to provide access to some of the world’s most exclusive brands, including yacht portfolios and luxury hotel partners, both within and beyond the Affluent Traveller Collection.

Advisors will offer The Ritz-Carlton's and Four Seasons' yachts, for instance, as well as other premium hospitality brands such as Fairmont, Kimpton, Velas Resorts, and the Bravos collection with Melia. 

According to Dyrland, high-end experiences is where the Canadian travel industry is headed.

“All-inclusives will always be a constant,” she said. “But there is a certain demo – people aged 25 to 40 – that are tapping into luxury. They’re not having kids, they have good jobs, and they want bespoke experiences."

Collaboration & community

The new initiatives fit seamlessly within the Tisson framework.

Dyrland founded Tisson Travel Group in 2023 with a clear purpose: to build a collaborative network of Alberta-based travel pros that went beyond the transactional nature of some traditional host agencies.

Rather than simply providing back-end support, Tisson was designed as a community—one that emphasizes mentorship, shared learning, and business development.

At its core, the network is meant to help independent advisors thrive as entrepreneurs.

Dyrland recognized early on that while many travel professionals excel at destination knowledge and client service, they often lack formal training in the operational side of running a business.

READ MORE: On Location: Alberta’s Tisson Travel Group hosts first community gathering in PVR with Playa

Her response has been to create programs that address these gaps, from in-person events to custom-made curricula.

The right mindset

Which leads to the Tisson Luxe Mindset, Dyrland’s other initiative – a training program, focused on selling luxury travel – that launches March 1 and will run again in the fall.

While Tisson Luxe focuses on the client-facing side of luxury travel, the Tisson Luxe Mindset is built around the professional development of advisors themselves.

Dyrland has long been outspoken about the lack of business training in the travel industry and believes this gap can hinder long-term success.

“It’s one thing to be a luxury travel advisor, but what does it mean to run a business?” she asks.

READ MORE: Tisson Travel celebrates one year as advisor-supplier relations strengthen in Alberta

Drawing on her background in education and curriculum development—Dyrland teaches at Calgary’s Mount Royal University and holds a Bachelor’s degree in education and a Master’s in psychology, in addition to 18 years in the travel industry—she designed the Luxe Mindset as a three-month program with eight modules

Most learning will take place online, supplemented by in-person sessions in Calgary. The program will also include one-on-one mentorship led by Dyrland.

“When students come out of the program, they will be fully-trained on how to run a travel business, in the luxury space,” she said. “It’s not an AI-generated program. It’s me, offering a curriculum based on my real-life expertise and experience.”

The Tisson Luxe Mindset, open to all agents in Alberta regardless of host agency or affiliation, comes at a time when more advisors are opting to operate independently, in some cases leaving traditional host agencies in pursuit of greater autonomy, Dyrland said.

READ MORE: Alberta’s Tisson Travel Group taps new tech that speeds up FIT planning

She sees this entrepreneurial shift as an opportunity, but it’s one that requires preparation and awareness.

“I love seeing the hustle, but I want people to be aware of their entrepreneur identity and what that means to their brand, and to them,” she said.

The Luxe Mindset curriculum is designed to help advisors understand how to position themselves as luxury experts, build premium brands, and deliver elevated service in today’s competitive marketplace, Dyrland said.

“I have no interest in training agents how to sell an all-inclusive,” she said. “This is about helping advisors understand their value, expertise and how to use it.”

Takin’ care of business

The concept for the Luxe Mindset builds on the success of Tisson Business Day, an in-person summit for travel advisors that Dyrland launched last year.

Open to all travel professionals, the event was created to tackle the practical realities of running an independent travel business.

As Dyrland told PAX in an interview last year, many advisors excel at nurturing client relationships, yet struggle with the nuts and bolts of entrepreneurship—sales, accounting, taxes, bookkeeping, and professional communications.

READ MORE: Tisson Travel Group launches business day to empower travel advisors

“I realized we were giving people independent businesses without the foundation to run them,” Dyrland said. “At tax time, some were lost. And when it came to sales, they could maintain relationships but didn’t always know how to acquire or close a sale.”

Last year’s inaugural summit covered a range of relatable topics, from sales strategies and accounting tips to client-relationship management.

“The amount of people outside of Tisson who reached out to attend was eye-opening,” Dyrland said, reflecting on last year’s event, which will return to Calgary this fall. “There are people out there who are really struggling with how to run a business.”

Tisson Luxe, the Tisson Luxe Mindset, along with Tisson Business Day, are designed to close that gap, empowering advisors with the business acumen needed for long-term success.

Her open-call training, however, is not available to travel advisors across the country. Dyrland said she remains committed to keeping her programs based in Alberta.

“It will always be Alberta – that’s where my heart is,” she said. “We have very strong partnerships here and all our in-person sessions take place in Calgary.”

“The whole idea is to create a community.”

For more on Tisson Luxe, click here. For more on the Tisson Luxe Mindset, click here. 

Don't miss a single travel story: subscribe to PAX today!  Click here to follow PAX on Facebook.