Full steam ahead: TTC Tour Brands sees 2027 sales surge, big change coming

TTC Tour Brands is getting into the luxury car business.

OK, not really. But it certainly appeared that way, at first, judging by the venue chosen for an industry gathering in uptown Toronto on Wednesday afternoon (Aug. 19).

Bold-faced travel names clinked wine glasses with beef sliders on napkins in hand yesterday alongside The Travel Corporation’s sales team at Club Aspen, a private social club and luxury car storage facility in North York.

The warehouse-like building, where rows of colourful Ferraris and Porsches sit like prized thoroughbreds in a stable, has a connection to the multi-brand tour operator: it once served at TTC’s primary office space, where brochures were once created for the industry at large.

A section of the building, owned by the Tollmans (TTC’s founding family), still houses TTC Tour Brands’ offices, making it familiar territory for the team hosting yesterday's mixer.

That included Jenni Berg, director of national accounts; Jodine Clement, director of sales, Canada, all the way from Calgary; Brenda Bradley and Austin Fraser, Ontario-based sales managers; Justine Sawler, director, global sales and operations; and, from California, Whitney Ramirez, senior vice president, sales.

Members of TTC’s contact centre and operations support teams were also on the scene.

Change on the horizon

Why invite a guest list of powerful industry players into a temple of high-end horsepower?

The main reason: a big change is coming to TTC Tour Brands, which includes core entities like Trafalgar, Trafalgar River Cruises, Insight Vacations, Luxury Gold, Costsaver, Contiki, and Brendan Vacations – the Ireland and Scotland specialist, which gained significant Canadian exposure, this past spring, after hosting Trevello’s national conference in Northern Ireland.

Unfortunately – at least for the handful of media in attendance yesterday – the details are under strict embargo until Sept. 1.

So, for now, we can’t say much more. At least not in this space.

READ MORE: TTC Tour Brands revamps groups program with expanded advisor benefits

But what we can say is that the TTC booking experience for travel advisors is about to become simpler and more streamlined. The upcoming changes have also been shaped by feedback from travel advisors around the world.

In a nutshell: expect a more intuitive way to do business with TTC Tour Brands.

The full story is still to come. Stay tuned to this space in September for more.

2027 sales are “hot & heavy”

What we can talk about is how TTC Tour Brands is gearing up for what sounds like a profitable new year.  

The company is heading into the final months of 2026 with strong momentum, as early bookings for 2027 accelerate and the tour operator expands its river cruise and small-group offerings.

“2027 is selling extremely well. 2026 is an amazing year, but we're really seeing sales come in hot and heavy for 2027,” Jenni Berg told us yesterday. “River is very good, which is why we’re expanding the river product.”

The upbeat outlook comes as TTC rides high on the launch of Trafalgar River Cruises earlier this year, marking the brand’s entry into the river cruise space.

(Click here to see PAX’s in-depth video coverage from the launch of Trafalgar Verity, a 128-passenger river ship, in the Amsterdam region, on the Rhine).

Additionally, sailing from Budapest to Passau on the Danube, is the Trafalgar Reverie and, new for 2027, is the Trafalgar Dreamer, which will glide from Paris through Normandy.

“France is coming, on the Seine, starting and ending Paris, which is really exciting because it combines so nicely with so many of the Trafalgar, Insight and Costsaver tours,” Berg said.

Small groups get bigger focus

The river expansion comes amid broader changes across TTC Tour Brands.

Among the developments is an increased emphasis on small-group travel at Trafalgar, with new itineraries being introduced around the world.

“Trafalgar is starting to operate small-group tours – not only in Europe, but all over the world,” Berg shared.

The new offering includes itineraries in destinations such as South Africa, Kenya and Borneo, while Insight Vacations is adding new small-group options of its own, including Patagonia.

For Trafalgar, small groups will have a maximum of 18 guests, while Insight's will accommodate a maximum of 24.

Importantly, Berg said the itineraries aren't simply existing tours with fewer guests. They are being built specifically around the advantages that come with travelling in a smaller group.

“We're designing them with curated experiences that maybe wouldn’t allow some access, previously, with a larger group. Now, we can take guests to certain places because it’s a smaller group,” she said.

Why 2027 is taking off

New product is helping drive TTC's early 2027 sales, but Berg believes there is something else at play: travellers who may have postponed trips amid global uncertainty are ready to get moving again.

“There’s been some hesitancy over the last few months because of many things happening in the world, but now I think people are starting to say, "I still want to do a trip, I still want to travel,” she said.

For travellers, she added, taking a trip often goes beyond simply getting away.

“We still want to experience new cultures. If you are someone who is a traveller, it's a big part of your life,” Berg said.

Making groups easier for advisors

TTC Tour Brands is also sharpening its focus on the travel trade.

The company recently unveiled a significant refresh of its Groups Program, introducing enhancements designed to make group bookings easier, more flexible and more rewarding for travel advisors across its portfolio of brands.

For Berg, making advisors' lives easier also means helping them better communicate the value of guided vacations – particularly to clients who believe a tour might limit their independence.

She pointed to an unlikely convert as proof: her mother.

Despite Berg's 22 years with TTC Tour Brands, it took 21 years to convince her parents – who traditionally favoured all-inclusive resorts, cruises and independent travel – to try a tour.

Their initial objections were ones Berg hears regularly from customers and advisors: they didn't want to spend their vacation on a coach, be stuck with strangers or sacrifice free time.

After trying a Costsaver tour in Italy, however, those perceived drawbacks became highlights.

“The exact things she thought she would hate were her favourite parts,” Berg shared.

The coach made getting around easy, her parents filled their anticipated “free time” with optional excursions and the strangers they were worried about travelling alongside quickly became friends.

“She actually used the words, ‘I can't believe how like-minded we all were,’” Berg said.

The lesson for advisors, Berg said, is to lead with what clients actually want from a vacation rather than starting with the word “tour.”

“Figure out why someone wants to go. At the end of the day, all of the boxes that a tour ticks is what they're looking for. They just think they want to do it on their own,” she said.

That approach can benefit advisors, too, by shifting the work of piecing together multiple components to a tour operator that has already curated the experience.

“You want someone else to take care of it. That's why they're booking with a travel agent because they want them to take care of the details,” Berg said. “And as the advisor, your life is easier because you can trust us. We're the specialists. We've already curated everything.”

“Your client will come back and say, ‘Oh my goodness. Why didn't I know this style of travel existed?’”

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