The Travel Agent Next Door turns 12: Friisdahl eyes big tech & billion-dollar dream

Twelve years ago, when The Travel Agent Next Door (TTAND) first opened its doors in 2014, founder and president Flemming Friisdahl had a vision, but no crystal ball.

The truth is, he wasn’t entirely sure how the travel industry would respond to his new host agency.

“We didn’t even know if any agents would join us,” Friisdahl told PAX in an interview years back, reflecting on the company's early days. “I mean, we thought they would, but we could never know for sure.”

“We didn’t have a line-up out the door, but people soon started to see that we were going to be around.”

Fast forward to 2026, and “around” might be the understatement of the decade.

TTAND is celebrating its 12th anniversary with a network that has grown to 1,840 travel advisors (900 primary agents and 940 associate agents).

What started as a hopeful leap has evolved into one of Canada’s most dynamic host agencies, powered by steady growth, loyal partners, and a reputation for delivering.

But it hasn’t just been about growth. It’s been about building a host agency that actually works for Canadian travel advisors.

Over the years, TTAND has rolled out a suite of technology platforms, support programs, and forward-thinking tools designed to help advisors sell smarter, faster, and with a little more flair.

And while big numbers are great, success, here, goes far beyond sheer size.

Proud moments

Speaking to PAX this week, reflecting on TTAND’s 12-year journey, Friisdahl doesn’t point to just one proud moment. He has a few that stand out.

One, he said, is reading reviews from agent partners on Host Agency Reviews – “When they talk about the support, how it has changed their lives and how happy they are to be partnered together in this crazy world of being travel agents.”

Another? “When suppliers tell me how no other company is as focused on selling preferred and approved suppliers – at 86 per cent.”

Another? When he sees his “support office’s love for each other and the agent partners.”

“That would be what I am most proud of,” he said. “You may think it’s that we are the biggest in sales and agents – and yes, that’s nice – but it was never my objective.”

Still, those big numbers matter. “Success gives us more ability to re-invest into all three groups above,” said Friisdahl.

Strategic moves

The anniversary comes in the wake of strategic moves that have started to take shape at TTAND, including an equity partnership with UK-based Travel Counsellors, announced late last year.

The collaboration is expected to unlock new tech, innovation, and global opportunities. Bigger toys for an already well-equipped sandbox.

And then there’s the shiny new addition: LUXE by TTAND, a premium brand that’s attracting some serious star power in the luxury travel space.

Suppliers like Scenic, Explora Journeys, Uniworld, Silversea, Tauck, Crystal, and Abercrombie & Kent have all joined the portfolio, which is enhanced by a new “Luxe Mastermind” training program.

Speaking with PAX last November, Friisdahl said he hopes to attract more travel advisors who are looking to work with luxury products.

Additionally, as PAX first reported, a new corporate program is also in the works at TTAND. 

The division, which will be designed to serve small and medium-sized enterprises, will build on Travel Counsellors’ already-robust corporate portfolio, which amounts to roughly $500 million in annual sales. 

“[Corporate travel] is something you don’t see too often in the host agency space in Canada,” Friisdahl told PAX last December. “Generally speaking, most focus on leisure.”

$1 billion dollars

What’s next for TTAND? Just a casual billion in sales.

“My long-term goal is to hit a billion in sales and I feel confident we will get there,” Friisdahl said. “2026 will continue to move us towards this goal as we go above $600 million, which is so cool.”

The other goal, he said, is to launch new programs for TTAND’s agents.

“I’ve always had a vision of an agent being able to do everything just one time, like entering a name and doing a complete booking, or having systems that manage groups or itineraries that are created automatically,” he said. “Those are goals we continue to move towards, and with an IT department comprised of our own team members (11 people), we will get there. It’s very exciting!”

Translation: innovation and making agents’ lives easier.

Looking further ahead, artificial intelligence is very much in the mix.

“The key will be our equity partnership with Travel Counsellors and our ability to create even cooler programs and exclusive technology,” Friisdahl said. “That will be one of our biggest achievements. We all know AI is coming, so we must embrace it, and that’s exactly what we are doing, and doing it like nobody else.”

“That’s very exciting to me. It will also be very exciting when we show our agents what’s coming!”

TTAND agents will likely get a sneak peek of what’s to come at the host agency’s national conference next month.

From April 18-26, agents will step aboard the Celebrity Silhouette on an eight-night itinerary from Fort Lauderdale to Aruba to Curacao to Bonaire and back. 

Along the way, they'll participate in professional workshops, supplier presentations and valuable one-on-one sessions with suppliers. (Stay tuned for PAX’s onboard coverage!)

And, in case you were wondering, yes, business is good at TTAND right now. Very good.

“I’m happy to say we’re having an amazing first quarter,” Friisdahl added. “We’re up some 19 per cent. Our agent partners are doing well!”

From uncertain beginnings to industry leader status, TTAND’s 12-year anniversary is proof that sometimes, if you build it, they eventually do come.

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