On Location: Moustache mayhem, agent support & supplier awards steal spotlight at TTAND conference

“One more day! One more day!”

The upper-lip centrepiece that is Flemming Friisdahl’s new moustache triggered raucous shouting at the opening session of The Travel Agent Next Door’s (TTAND’s) conference at sea, "Leading The Way," on Sunday (April 19), as attendees urged the host agency’s founder to extend the life of his much-talked-about whiskers.

If you’re just joining us now, Friisdahl grew a moustache as part of a bet with Celebrity Cruises’ Allan Brooks, under which Brooks pledged a donation on behalf of the cruise line to Pencil For Kids – an organization supporting children and women in Niger, West Africa – if Friisdahl kept his bristles until the conference’s opening day.

Friisdahl was planning to make a clean shave in between presentations that morning (he’s not a fan of his new look), but the TTAND team had other ideas.

From the theatre of the Celebrity Silhouette, a 2,886-passenger Solstice Class cruise ship, Friisdahl reluctantly proposed an offer: give the highest donor to Pencil For Kids the chance to shave his moustache off, live on stage.

READ MORE: Razor focused: Moustached Flemming Friisdahl gears up for TTAND conference at sea

A bidding war broke out, starting at $100 and climbing to $1,700, helped along by a generous donation from travel advisor Shelley Cota.

But the stakes rose again when David Green of G Adventures stood up from the audience and proposed a twist, offering an additional $1,500 (on top of Cota’s donation) if Friisdahl agreed to keep his soup strainer for one more day.

Shaving off further drama, Friisdahl gave in, and the moustache – very much a rogue passenger on board, and conference subplot – lived to see another day.

“I want to get rid of it so bad,” said Friisdahl, who was spotted carrying an electric razor around with him on the ship yesterday, signalling a clean shave was imminent. “I don't think moustaches are my thing.”

Friisdahl, leading the way – a nod to this year’s TTAND conference theme (and all future conference themes) – but smoothly? 

As of Monday morning (April 20), Friisdahl confirmed with PAX that his moustache remains. Watch this space for official updates. 

TTAND’s new era

Building on last year’s event in Riviera Maya, Mexico, this year’s TTAND conference – an eight-night sailing from Fort Lauderdale, Florida to the ABC Islands and back – welcomes nearly 400 travel pros, the company’s largest group to date.

And attendees – a mix of new and experienced advisors (309), supplier partners (58) and TTAND’s support team – are delving into TTAND’s evolving identity.

At the centre of it all? An equity partnership with UK-based Travel Counsellors, announced late last year.

Plus, a new division, LUXE by TTAND: a premium brand, also revealed last year, that’s attracting new suppliers from the luxury space.

Scenic, Explora Journeys, Uniworld, Silversea, Tauck, Crystal, and Abercrombie & Kent have all joined this new portfolio (to date, there are 25 brands), which is enhanced by a new “Luxe Mastermind” training program.

Already, two cohorts – totalling 48 agent partners – have been onboarded into TTAND’s luxury universe.

A new corporate program is also underway, with completion expected by year’s end.

Add a network of 1,840 home-based and independent travel advisors (900 primary agents and 940 associate agents, and counting), plus a revenue target of $609–$620 million this year (Q1 is up 22 per cent), and you have a serious scale operation in motion. 

If TTAND, which turned 12 this year, had its own “Eras” tour – à la Taylor Swift – which one would it be in right now?

“Continuous growth,” Friisdahl told PAX in a sit-down interview yesterday, not totally getting the Taylor Swift reference (but understanding the question enough to respond).

“People often ask me why we grew so fast,” he said. “But there's a difference between fast growth and steady growth. We're steady.”

Steady in building a community of highly-experienced travel advisors, but also first-time industry entrants.

TTAND’s "New to Industry" program – designed for beginners, featuring both self-directed and live instructor-led training – for this May and June, for example, is already sold out.

“There are so many people that want to get into travel,” he said.

By year’s end, TTAND is expected to onboard between 35 to 40 individuals who have never sold travel, which Friisdahl calls “a high number.”

The new class

The presence of new-to-industry (and new-to-TTAND) agents is clearly evident at this year’s conference, which PAX is covering on location until April 26. 

This year’s agenda features activities tailored for newcomers, such as a supplier meet-and-greet that served as an icebreaker to help first-time attendees, or anyone feeling intimidated, engage more easily.

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

PAX attended the event on Saturday evening (April 18) in the Deck 14 Sky Lounge of Celebrity Silhouette and the energy in the room was infectious. 

A peer-to-peer program, meanwhile, pairs new-to-industry agents (and experienced agents) with top performers in a mentorship-focused setting.

It’s about sharing expertise and learning from the best.

“You are not competitors. You are colleagues,” Friisdahl told advisors during his opening remarks yesterday, setting the tone for the week.

TTAND’s Buddy Program also pairs new-to-industry and first-time conference attendees with experienced advisors who can guide them through the week.

Fiona Allen from Burlington, ON, who joined the travel industry about a year-and-a-half ago, is one agent experiencing TTAND’s conference for the first time. 

“It’s very well organized and the community is so welcoming,” Allen, owner of Wild & Wander Travel Co., told PAX. “There’s a lot of energy, the support team is phenomenal. From the agenda to the new app they’ve built for the event, it’s so well thought out.” 

Allen spent years in the corporate world before transitioning into the industry to pursue her longstanding passion for travel.

She initially joined another host agency, but recently moved to TTAND after speaking with other agents who recommended making the switch.

“I needed somewhere with lots of support, since I was new, and TTAND checked all the boxes,” said Allen, who has been taking full advantage of the company’s programming at this week’s conference.

From online support and video calling to after-hour assistance and guidance for learning new processes, like how to create an invoice, “they take you all through it,” Allen said. 

“There’s always someone there to help you,” she said. “As a new agent, you need that.”  

Celebrity makes an entrance

New beginnings have been a reoccurring theme at this year’s TTAND conference.

For starters, Celebrity Cruises, the week’s host, is gearing up for its entry into European river cruising.

Next year, Celebrity River Cruises will operate 33 seven-night itineraries on the Rhine and Danube, with two new ships, Celebrity Compass and Celebrity Seeker.

More ships – Celebrity Wanderer, Celebrity Roamer, and Celebrity Boundless – will join the fleet in 2028. The plan, by 2031, is to operate a river fleet of 20 vessels.

To hype up the room, Celebrity’s Canadian team — Allan Brooks, national director; Brenda Lynne Yeomans, key account manager; and Chad Kowalenko, field sales manager for Western Canada — made a dramatic on-stage entrance in colourful Bavarian attire.

Following an AI-generated video showcasing the trio flying over European destinations, they then emerged through smoke, rising from beneath the stage in a high-energy, Eurovision-worthy reveal.

“This is what happens when an ocean cruise line gets into river cruising,” remarked Brooks, dressed in lederhosen.

It’s a big moment for Celebrity, hosting TTAND’s conference, which has been at least ten years in the making.

Outside of the classroom, agents will experience the Celebrity Silhouette (with real grass on its top deck) that was “revolutionized” (upgraded) in 2020 to add modern amenities, including refined staterooms, The Retreat (a ship-within-a-ship concept) and revamped dining.

In a previous interview, Brooks noted how “there’s nothing more valuable than having agents on board” a Celebrity ship.

“We can talk about it, but until you experience the feeling of being on a Celebrity cruise, you truly can’t explain the nuances,” he said. “This will also be a great starting point for new agents that have joined the industry.”

Travel Counsellors on the scene

Then there’s TTAND’s new link with Travel Counsellors – which first entered the Canadian market in 2008 (back when Friisdahl was at Thomas Cook) with a Toronto office before it closed in 2015.

With this, agents can expect a range of new tools added to an already well-equipped toolbox.

Travel Counsellors’ Chief Commercial Officer Kirsten Hughes and Senior Destination Manager Natalie Aspinall, both based in the U.K., presented yesterday to introduce the Manchester-based company, its products and how TTAND agents stand to benefit from the partnership.

Last year, Travel Counsellors produced £1.2 billion in sales, but with TTAND now under its umbrella, it takes the company to almost £3 billion, Hughes explained.

“That’s a huge figure, but we’re still a small business at heart,” she said.

Two tools from Travel Counsellors that TTAND agents can look forward to include Phenix, a platform designed to enable dynamic packaging, and TC Co-Pilot, an AI-powered digital assistant that enhances productivity by streamlining workflows and delivering personalized itinerary recommendations.

As Hughes outlined the capabilities of the platforms – from customization and automation features to commission setting – you could hear the reaction ripple through the theatre, with waves of “oohs” and “aahs” as the possibilities started to click.

What does Travel Counsellors get out of its partnership with TTAND?

Beyond a substantial book of business, the company will gain access to TTAND’s agent-facing, highly-customizable business systems.

The UK-based brand will furthermore gain a competitive presence in North America.

But that doesn’t mean Travel Counsellors is returning to Canada, Friisdahl has said.

“Their model does not work [in Canada],” he told us in an interview late last year. “It’s a 60/40 split, which is part of the reason why they left Canada. Their model is not the same as ours and they don't want to mix them.”

Additionally, there’s no plan – nor pressure – to “assimilate” TTAND into Travel Counsellors,

“The Travel Agent Next Door is a different brand and they want to keep it that way,” he said. “The two models will never compete in the same market."

Later this week, Travel Counsellors CEO Steve Byrne will board Silhouette and join Friisdahl on stage to participate in a town hall-style presentation where attendees will be able to ask questions about the partnership.

“We’re being very transparent,” said Friisdahl, whose maintained a business as usual operation since the partnership was announced.

But the bottom line with Travel Counsellors is about TTAND having a succession plan.

Friisdahl turned 60 last year, and while he remains in good health (and has no plans to retire), he’s aware that the future isn’t always predictable.

“If something were to happen to me, I don't want those who trusted me to suddenly say, ‘Now what?’ without any plan or options,” he said. “That was the number one driver [for the partnership].

“The Travel Agent Next Door, knock on wood, will continue to have some of its best years moving forward.”

Knock on wood

But let’s talk about knocking on wood. Today’s travel landscape has never been more unpredictable and complex.

From high-profile cartel-related violence in Pacific Mexico (which, for the record, has eased) to war in the Middle East to energy constraints in Cuba to evolving border dynamics affecting Canadian travel to the United States, to broader concerns, such as a potential shortage of jet fuel, the industry continues to operate in a continually-shifting environment.

Any one of the above can affect bottom-line performance, but Friisdahl remains pragmatic.

“Every time we do a town hall, there's something I read out loud: worry about the things you can control, and don't worry about the things you can't. For the things you can control, work hard at getting it the way you need it,” he said.

Friisdahl’s number one reason for not worrying about how world events may impact sales?

“We got through COVID. That was two years of not being allowed to sell travel and we came out the other end stronger,” he said. “Canadians want to travel. They've got a passport. They want to take that trip. It’s just a matter of finding new destinations for people to go.”

As for current sales trends at TTAND, Friisdahl noted that while Europe continues to be strong, South America is also having a moment.

There’s also growing demand for adventure travel, he said.  

“We’re selling a lot more Adventure Canada [small-ship expedition cruises] in Northern Canada,” he said.

Even Friisdahl and his wife, TTAND’s Rhonda Stanley, have caught the adventure bug – next year, they’ll be going on a gorilla trekking trip in Rwanda. 

“It's all about experiencing different stuff while you're still able to climb over a few rocks,” he said.

Ready, set, experience

TTAND’s conference at sea continues with supplier presentations today before calling in Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire.

The week features a line-up of speakers, including marketing technologist Kha Ly; Hannah Spicer, CEO and president of Build a Kick Ass Company; and comedian and writer Kate Davis, an expert in developing creative solutions to ease frustrations both in the workplace and at home.

TTAND will also host its annual Giveback Day, which, this year, takes place in Oranjestad, Aruba, where attendees will help out at Children’s Home Imeldahof, a non-profit that offers temporary shelter and guidance for boys and girls who, due to certain circumstances, cannot live with their parents or caregivers.

And, as always, fundraising efforts for Pencil For Kids will continue through silent auctions and other creative initiatives (possibly related to Friisdahl shaving his moustache).

This year marks ten years of TTAND supporting Pencil for Kids, and yesterday, it was shared that $388,394, in total, has been raised over the years.

TTAND’s supplier awards — voted on by agents — were also unveiled yesterday.

Curious to see who walked away with the trophies (crafted in Canada and cleverly made from chopsticks)?

The full list is here!

Stay tuned for more of PAX’s at-sea coverage from The Travel Agent Next Door’s 2026 conference Leading The Way!

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