On Location: Trevello tweaks logo & branding; Gedeon talks sales, tariffs & "new normal"

Trevello Travel Group has made some branding tweaks as it enters a new era of growth, innovation and elevated advisor support.

Since 2022, when “Trevello Travel Group” replaced "Travel Professionals International" (TPI), the host agency has used a purple and red template for its logo and promotional materials — a palette now shifting to shades of blue, from aqua and turquoise to cerulean.

Additionally, the infinity symbol that was once attached to Trevello’s logo has been dropped.

The changes were shared Monday (May 5) at Trevello’s 2025 “Momentum” conference, which PAX is currently covering, exclusively, at Hyatt Ziva and Hyatt Zilara Rose Hall in Montego Bay, Jamaica. 

Standing on a stage at yesterday’s opening session, addressing a ballroom of more than 200 travel professionals – a mix of travel advisors and suppliers – Zeina Gedeon, president and CEO of Trevello, explained the rationale behind the changes.

“A fresh and sophisticated” look

She said Trevello conducted a series of focus groups across North America recently to better understand its identity – specially how its colour palate – was being perceived.

The goal was to ensure the host agency’s visuals aligned with its evolving values and the image it wants to project.

READ MORE: On Location: “We’re growing”: Trevello conference kicks off in Jamaica; Playa shares Hyatt update

Trevello’s reds and purples were perceived as bold, but were still met with mixed sentiment. The template, “energetic,” but too traditional. It wasn’t capturing the premium, forward-thinking brand that Trevello has been trying to build.  

According to the feedback that was shared, the new blues will give Trevello a fresh, sophisticated and modern look.

The infinity symbol, meanwhile, was scrapped because some felt it didn’t effectively convey the advisor experience. 

Speaking about the new look, Gedeon called it “clean and contemporary.” The focus groups say it will “elevate” the brand.

But is Trevello changing too much, too often? Gedeon hears this a lot – and isn’t fazed.

“We can’t make 1,000 advisors happy. But we try to get to the majority,” she told the audience. “At the end of the day, we do what we think is best for our advisors. That’s our mission and aim.”

Sales snapshot

The Trevello executive expanded on that mission while reviewing the host agency’s sales performance and the key factors driving it.

Trevello ended 2024 with a seven per cent growth in sales and nine per cent increase in commissions, Gedeon said.

How is the company doing now? For Q1, sales are about five per cent ahead of 2024, she shared. Which is lower than initially expected, “but still growth.”

What are advisors selling? When it comes to products experiencing growth, cruise is up a whopping 24 per cent over 2024, followed by insurance (15 per cent), air (12 per cent), service fees (10 per cent), and tours (three per cent). Hotels, however, are down 17 per cent.

On Trevello’s cruise boom, “we see this trend continuing,” Gedeon said. The company’s average cruise sale (value per invoice) for Q1 this year sits at nearly $3,500.

As for the downward shift in hotel sales, it’s a trend that reflects a return to pre-COVID times, Gedeon said.

On a regional level, most of Trevello’s advisors are based in Ontario. However, the advisors in Western Canada are “kicking ass,” said Gedeon, generating some applause.

Sales from the west alone are making up 38 per cent of Trevello’s totals. “You guys are small, but mighty,” Gedeon said.

Trevello’s Chairman’s Group, meanwhile, represents 28 per cent of sales.

As for 2025, the host agency is projecting a sales increase of five per cent (although Gedeon’s ideal target would be ten), as well as a four per cent increase in commissions.

New commission program

As announced in April, “Momentum” is Trevello’s new commission program that “puts advisors first,” with 85 per cent commission for everyone—"no exceptions” – and 100 per cent commission once $15,000 in paid commission is achieved.

It also promises some of the lowest fees in the industry—"because advisors should keep what they earn,” reads a press release that was issued at the time.

Gedeon revealed that 87 per cent of Trevello’s advisors have joined the Momentum program, and already, 80 per cent (as of May 1) have reached the 100 per cent commission level.

Commenting on the program earlier this week, Gedeon told PAX that the idea has been six years in the making.

“As a team, we believe advisors work very hard, so they deserve to make all the money,” she said. “We make money in many ways, but we should not be making money from our advisors.”

Growing demand for advisors

Sourcing data from ACTA, Virtuoso and elsewhere, Gedeon shared some of the industry trends that are shaping Trevello’s future.

Social media continues to grow as a prominent trend in travel, she said. From Facebook to Instagram to TikTok, it’s a major source of travel inspiration.

“The ACTAs, the TICOs…everybody is using social media,” Gedeon said. “People actually prefer to talk to us by Facebook.”

She also highlighted research indicating a growing demand for travel advisors.

Among the findings, 50 per cent of consumers are more likely to use a travel advisor, with 44 per cent of baby boomers preferring an agent to do an entire booking for them. 

Additionally, 38 per cent of millennials and Gen Z trust an advisor more than online sources. And 85 per cent of luxury travellers believe an advisor is crucial to getting an individualized experience.

The latter is according to the Gifted Travel Network (GTN), a U.S.-based luxury host agency that Trevello acquired earlier this year.

Rising prices, rising tension

The executive also took time to address the elephant in the room –the state of travel, and the economy, as Canadians respond to U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff policies and annexation threats.

“Let's not kid ourselves, the whole political-economic situation is a bit scary,” Gedeon said. “There are so many things that are linked to [Trump’s tariffs], it's unsettling.”

Despite the rocky political climate, and economic uncertainty, the travel industry will remain resilient though, Gedeon said. 

“Whatever happens, we will deal with it,” she said. “I truly believe we’ll grow stronger.”

Still, “tension” is in the air. Especially when it comes to rising prices on everyday items.

Gedeon shared an anecdote about a recent visit to Costco where she paid significantly more for things that she buys annually.

“It truly has an impact on our customers. They’re being more cautious about where they spend. It’s why we see invoice amounts shrinking,” she said (but not for luxury clients, she clarified).

It’s an “unsteady” marketplace as Trump’s steep tariffs continue to challenge global economies. “But travel agents will forge through,” she said.

If anything, the situation has led to an increase in domestic travel, Gedeon went on to say.

“Even as airlines increase their prices, it’s still growing,” she said. (U.S. travel, meanwhile, is “shrinking,” Trevello says).

Canadians also want to get the best bang for their buck. “Customers want to get as much out of their trips as they can,” Gedeon said.

She urged Trevello’s advisors to “push travel in Canada,” and learn more about it, so they can help their customers – especially the ones rethinking U.S. travel – find an alternative (which may also include Europe, where airlines, like WestJet, have increased capacity).

New tools & suppliers

Trevello’s week-long conference, which features a jam-packed agenda of supplier presentations and workshops, also sheds light on new tools and technology.

Gedeon reviewed some of them: Cruise Central, which aims to refine the booking process and boost cruise sales as a one-stop shop, and Air Central, a sister program; “My Profile,” which allows advisors to review personal details in Trevello’s CRM; and “Commission Finder,” which allows users to search, filter, sort and find unmatched commissions in a simpler way. 

Trevello has also added new suppliers to its partner portfolio. The newcomers include African Travel, Adventure Canada, Arctic Adventures, Fiji Airways and Riviera Travel.

The updates come on the heels of Trevello announcing its plan to expand into the United States under parent company Trevello World Holdings.

The company also announced it was going public through a qualifying transaction with M3 Capital Capital Corp. on the TSX Venture Exchange.

Due to “shifting market conditions,” however, Trevello has paused this plan to “fine tune” the strategy, so that when it does go public, it’ll be “stronger than ever.”  

Trevello, today, is now divided into three separate entities – Trevello Canada, Trevello USA and The Gifted Network.

“They’re completely separate,” Gedeon said. “We are Canadian and the holding company is a registered Canadian company.”

“The ‘new normal’ is finally normal”

Sales may be slowing, but Trevello is still growing.

Gedeon reminded the room that while the post-COVID boom of 2023 and 2024 was welcome, it wasn’t exactly sustainable.

“The ‘new normal’ is finally normal,” she said. “Post-COVID, people went crazy, the growth was phenomenal. But it wasn’t normal. This year, I think we’re going back to more static, sustainable growth, which is five to ten per cent.”

Which could be a good thing. Although rapid growth is the goal for many in the travel industry, it often comes with significant costs.

“Many of you were burnt out,” Gedeon said. “There was too much work.”

Trevello’s conference runs until May 9. Stay tuned for more of PAX’s on-the-ground coverage.

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