TravelOnly targets Canada's top advisors as host agency competition heats up

Canada's host agency landscape is becoming more competitive than ever.

With companies vying not only for newcomers but also experienced advisors with established books of business, recruitment has evolved beyond commission splits and supplier relationships.

Technology, AI-powered tools, marketing support and lead generation have become the latest battlegrounds as host agencies look for ways to stand out.

TravelOnly is the latest to sharpen its strategy.

The family-owned-and-operated host agency announced “TravelOnly Select” in April, a new recruitment initiative, with a 100 per cent commission offer, designed specifically to help experienced travel advisors transition to a new host agency with greater ease.

The program complements “Lead Hive,” TravelOnly's AI-powered lead generation platform introduced in 2025, signalling a broader strategy focused on helping advisors grow.

For Gregory Luciani, TravelOnly's president and CEO, the program reflects changing expectations among experienced advisors, many of whom are looking for more sophisticated technology and business support than they had just a few years ago.

"We've predominantly worked with the inexperienced model for as long as I've been at TravelOnly. We've really gone after people who are new to travel," Luciani told PAX in a recent interview.

"But I've been to enough industry events where I talk to the agents. We've had agents come over from other hosts to say, 'Hey, I’m looking for something with better technology, better support. I need an easier way to run my business. My business is scaling up.'"

Rather than continuing to focus primarily on recruiting newcomers, TravelOnly is now setting its sights on the industry's highest-performing independent advisors.

"We want to go after the top sellers. The best of the best. The biggest independent contractors in the country," Luciani said.

Beyond commission

Competitive commission structures remain important, but Luciani believes they're no longer enough to differentiate one host agency from another.

"Everyone is offering 100 per cent commission. Or at least a way to get up to the highest possible commission," he said.

Instead, TravelOnly is positioning Select alongside Lead Hive, an AI-driven platform that connects advisors with highly targeted, pre-qualified leads through digital marketing campaigns, geographic targeting and CRM integration.

READ MORE: TravelOnly launches Lead Hive, an AI-powered lead generation platform

The goal, Luciani said, is to help advisors grow beyond their existing client base.

"We think if you're a million-dollar producer, and you want to take your business to $2 million, you’ll need help," he said. "The Lead Hive program does that." 

He argues that helping advisors acquire and nurture clients has become one of the most important roles a modern host agency can play.

"If you're trying to grow your business, what does a host agency really need to do? We think it's technology and tools on the CRM side. Nurturing your database, and then also bringing in the leads,” he said.

"Everyone's going after your customer, our customer, between the Expedias and ChatGPTs. We need to compete."

Why advisors stay put

While recruitment offers have become increasingly aggressive across the industry, convincing experienced advisors to actually switch remains difficult.

Luciani says the biggest obstacle isn't usually financial.

"The number one issue that people have is that they're just afraid of change," he said. “It’s like switching banks. Canadians do not like change.”

Advisors often worry about contractual obligations, commissions tied to existing bookings, learning unfamiliar systems and even leaving behind friendships they've built within their current host agency, he explained. 

“There's all this emotional baggage that comes with changing a host," he said.

TravelOnly Select attempts to remove much of that friction through what Luciani describes as a "white glove service."

The process begins by reviewing an advisor's existing host agency contract to ensure all obligations are understood before any move takes place.

"We're not here trying to poach anyone or do anything unscrupulous," Luciani said. "We want them to know that, from day one, we understand the agreement they're in...and then how that transition works.”

Once an advisor joins, dedicated teams from operations, training, sales and logistics help manage onboarding, booking transfers and day-to-day support.

“We’re investing into them from day one," he said.

For advisors considering a move, stability is another factor TravelOnly is emphasizing.

Rumours about mergers and acquisitions regularly circulate within the host agency community, but Luciani was unequivocal when asked whether TravelOnly is for sale.

"Hand to God, I don't know what I would do if I didn't have TravelOnly," he said. "I took it over for my Dad [Patrick Luciani], and it's been six years now. We're profitable, we're growing."

His answer was equally direct when asked if the company was on the market.

"Is TravelOnly for sale? Absolutely a hard no," he said. 

Measuring success differently

Although TravelOnly Select offers 100 per cent commission during an advisor's first year, Luciani says recruitment alone isn't how the company plans to judge the program.

"Recruitment is the easy part," he said. "Our goal is for them to have higher revenue and profits versus where they were a year ago."

“We want them to put more money into their pockets and have a technology solution that puts them on an equal playing field with the Expedias of the world."

Early response, since Select launched, has been encouraging, Luciani said.

"The phone's been ringing,” he said. “There is a lot of interest, and we know that this program is going to be successful."

He added that inquiries are coming from advisors affiliated with a wide range of host agencies, although TravelOnly remains selective about who it hopes to recruit.

"We just don't want everyone," he said. "We want the best possible agents."

AI takes centre stage

Artificial intelligence is also becoming a larger part of TravelOnly's advisor toolkit.

According to Luciani, advisors are increasingly using AI to build itineraries, create advertising copy and generate social media content.

Internally, the company has developed an AI chatbot called Joy, which functions as a virtual assistant capable of answering questions about supplier information, company policies and operational procedures.

"It’s a virtual assistant that can do all things any human assistant could do today," Luciani said, adding that future versions will handle invoices and other back-office tasks.

Business remains strong

TravelOnly's investment in recruitment and technology also comes at a time when travel demand continues to outperform expectations.

Despite rising costs and ongoing geopolitical uncertainty, Luciani says bookings remain robust.

"Business is booming," he said. "People are still booking, the mid to high-end of the market is doing gangbusters."

He acknowledged that lower-priced travel has softened, but says affluent Canadians – particularly retiring baby boomers – continue to spend heavily on travel experiences, especially multi-generational vacations.

"We're seeing bigger ticket items than we've ever seen in the history of travel,” he said.

Looking ahead, Luciani expects those demographic trends to continue driving growth, especially as inheritances are passed down.

"We're very bullish on Canada. We're very bullish on travel," he said, forecasting travel growth of three to five per cent next year.

More opportunities ahead

TravelOnly isn't stopping with Select and Lead Hive.

Very soon, the host agency will introduce a new Groups program, which Luciani says is designed to help advisors earn higher commissions by giving them access to preferred group inventory in destinations and products where TravelOnly has identified strong demand.

Using historical booking data, the company is identifying where group space can generate the greatest value for advisors, with commissions expected to range between 15 and 20 per cent on eligible products, he said.

The program is expected to launch before the end of July, with an emphasis on helping advisors boost earnings during the busy winter booking season, when commission rates on all-inclusive vacations typically come under pressure.

"Our goal for 2026 and 2027 is to increase everyone's average rate of commission," said Luciani. 

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