TMR Canada On Scene: Consistency, Cooperation & Transparency Are Keys To TTAND’s Success

Consistency has been key to The Travel Agent Next Door’s (TTAND) inexorable rise to becoming Canada’s largest group of independent travel advisors. 

There has been consistency of leadership. For the first decade of the company’s existence, it was clear that TTAND’s three founders — Flemming Friisdahl, former tour operator executive, Penny Martin, with extensive retail and host agency experience and long-time retail travel manager Rhonda Stanley were the heart and soul of TTAND.

Friisdahl is mercurial, endearingly quirky and damn-the-torpedoes, full-speed-ahead. He brings entrepreneurial fearlessness and savvy. 

Rhonda is motherly, empathetic and solid, but she’s a straight shooter, true to her Newfoundland roots. If a prospective new member asks if they will make a ton of money selling air-only, Rhonda is not gonna lie. Friisdahl says: “Rhonda always believes in doing the right thing, and that has served us well.” Rhonda is scaling back her contribution to the company, but she’s still an important piece.

Penny Martin retired last year, but she’s back at conference as a TTAND agent partner. She is intuitive, knows the company’s systems back to front, and she is loved by members and suppliers alike. 

The distinctive personalities and diverse experience and skill sets of this leadership triumvirate combined to create a formula for successful growth that is to date unmatched in the Canadian host agency scene.

TTAND is preparing for the future however, with hires like Chief Operating Officer Jeffery Element, a seasoned operations and finance guy, and Chris Senior, CFO. Other top execs include VP of Strategic Partnerships Brad Miron, Director of Finance Nicola Gowe, Head of Engineering & Design Raj Gautam and Director of Marketing & Supplier Engagement Christine Ufniak. There are more than a dozen others in key management roles.

“We have representation from a diverse group of people in our management group, both in gender and ethnic background. Our future is in good hands,” Friisdahl told Travel Market Report Canada.

Consistency in suppliers has been another TTAND hallmark in the first decade. Under Friisdahl’s unyielding ‘less is more’ philosophy, TTAND has been singularly focused on driving business to preferred and approved suppliers, and has won their loyalty like few other hosts.

Consistency in support is another pillar of TTAND’s success. The company has complemented its growth with a commensurate increase in support staff. There are now more than 70 full-time employees, along with a unique partnership in India that enables longer hours for BSP ticketing and overnight QA on files so that commissions are posted more rapidly. 

The India relationship also enables access to skilled IT workers who help develop tools for TTAND’s 1,400 primary and associate agent partners.

Consistency in monthly fees is another TTAND bragging point. The figure has remained at $69 per month since day one, and TTAND agents get a lot more tools and resources for the money than they did in the past. Their burgeoning sales is what enables the overall company to earn a profit.

At The Travel Agent Next Door’s 2025 conference, on now at the Iberostar Paraiso Lindo on Mexico’s Riviera Maya, Travel Market Report sat down with Friisdahl for a chat about TTAND today and tomorrow. 

Here are a few of the highlights:

Cooperation, Not Competition

A distinctive part of the host agency model is that in the ideal scenario, members see themselves as part of a larger whole, rather than individual competitors chasing the same travel dollars. They help each other, with more senior advisors answering questions for newer entrants, and members even passing leads onto others with more expertise.

“Our whole goal was to create an environment of success,” Friisdahl said. “The thing that has made me the most happy is that people see the benefit of community.”

Embracing the Luxe Life

Luxury travel has been the talk of the trade for years now, and The Travel Agent Next Door is embracing the shift toward more comfortable, curated and custom travel products.

“I believe the luxury travel phenomenon came out of Covid,” said Friisdahl. “People are looking to bucket-list destinations, more intimate, smaller groups and more comfortable accommodations. Consumers want that kind of product.”

TTAND revealed a new ‘luxury’ logo for optional use by the more than half of members who use The Travel Agent Next Door brand as their identity, rather than self-branding. It elevates the folksy TTAND house logo, transforming ‘next door’ into more of a mansion. 

The host agency has also launched an electronic luxury magazine, and will add sister companies A&K and Crystal as preferred suppliers in future months. TTAND will work with consortium partner TLN, which offers a wide range of luxury hotel and other product with additional incentives for members.

Tools of the Trade

Providing members with digital tools to automate repetitive elements of their jobs is a key priority, Friisdahl said. 

“That’s where I see success. Travel agents already work too many hours for the pay. I would automate every element of administrative work if I could. When it comes to the sales part, that’s where clients want a real body and a human touch.”

Key developments on the tools front includes a new version of the TTAND hub, the host agency’s back-end platform, which is in Beta testing now with 125 agencies participating. 

Later this year, TTAND will introduce a proprietary itinerary builder, which it believes will add value to members, many of whom currently pay to use outside products. It promises to save members time as well, by integrating into TTAND systems and outside tools like SIREV.

“Not one of our competitors can offer the technology we do,” said Friisdahl. “And our pricing is much lower.”

Insuring There’s a Policy for Everyone

TTAND has a strong and committed relationship with Manulife, but Friisdahl acknowledges that the insurance giant’s product line means TTAND is “not competitive all the time on the 60 and over” segment. 

To fix that, the host agency is adding Canadian travel insurance provider TuGo as an approved supplier. It offers a 60+ friendly product that includes a pre-existing condition rider and up to $10 million in coverage, at competitive pricing.

“TuGo brought us in at top-tier commission right off the bat, and that’s a win for our members,” Friisdahl said.

Not for Sale But Positioning for Change

Despite rumours that crop up from time to time, TTAND is not for sale, Friisdahl said. 

“Today we’re not selling. I can’t say what the future will bring. At some point we want to spend more time with our children and grandkids. I work a lot, but I love what I do. We’ve added senior people like Jeff Element and Chris Senior to help manage our work/life balance.”

Happy Members Spell Success

“It’s like joining this big family, but you have a big brother and a sister and a mother and a father who’ve been around for a long time, who offer the advice, the guidance, the structure in order for you to succeed,” said Bonnie Fowler, who was completely new to the business when she joined two years ago.

“They listen, the learning opportunities, it’s here. There’s nothing that’s missing from here.”

Bev Edgar joined five years ago, and she says the transparency of TTAND’s management is a key attribute.

“Flemming says all the time that he’s transparent, and he is. A perfect example was him sitting on the stage in the hot seat taking questions, any questions. And you may not like the answer, but he’s honest. They have not disappointed me in anything once in five years. Everything has just been so wonderful and supportive.”

Fowler agrees: “It’s a completely open-door, transparent policy, which is virtually unheard of in any business. I would never think of going anywhere else.”