TPImarketingtpi, Author at TPI

TPI celebrates the collective efforts of our industry!

Over the past 14 months, advisors and clients alike have been eagerly awaiting news on refunds and commission protection from airline and tour partners.

“It’s been a long haul says Zeina Gedeon, CEO TPI. It’s been a time of angst and frustration for travel advisors and agency groups over the past 14 months, and the recent announcement from the Government and Air Canada regarding their enhanced policy for refunds has allowed our advisors to breathe a little bit, knowing that their clients can receive their anticipated refunds and the advisors can retain their hard-earned commission.”

“We welcome this new policy and want to thank everyone involved. Many of our TPI Advisors and our Industry Colleagues have spent endless hours learning how to navigate conversations with local politicians; they moved out of their comfort zones and stepped up. What a spectacular display of an industry coming together to have their voices heard.

The efforts of ACTA have been tremendous. As our industry representatives, they have had our backs, fought tirelessly for several initiatives, lobbied Government groups and continue to do so.

To Air Canada and Air Canada Vacations, thank you for the ongoing support of the travel agent community and for ensuring that your partners were financially protected. We appreciate it more than you know!

We see solid signs for recovery, and the light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter every day. Still, the work towards recovery needs to continue and remains critical to outline a robust recovery plan.

But for now, we celebrate and remember that collectively, we can (and will) implement change.”

Travel Press: https://bit.ly/3g6x208

April 14, 2021 Our News Comments Off on TPI celebrates the collective efforts of our industry!

TPI Celebrates two of its advisors being named to the Condé Nast Travel Specialist List

Travel Professionals International (TPI) is celebrating the accomplishments of two of their advisors, being named to the Condé Nast 2021 Top Travel Specialists.

“We are so proud of both Donna Flanigan and Shari Tucker for being named to this prestigious list of Travel Specialists; being recognized as a Travel Specialist to Conde Nast is a huge accomplishment for Donna and Shari. While Donna and Shari have very different business specialties, they share a few similarities, they both go above and beyond for their clients by providing a high touch level of service, and are laser-focused on ensuring that they are doing all they can to stay relevant and move their business forward”, said Zeina Gedeon, CEO TPI. “Both Shari and Donna are well-positioned for continued success, and we are so proud of their continued efforts, and we celebrate their accomplishments.”

Conde Nast travel specialists are chosen based on their expertise, specialization and excellence in customer service.

April 1, 2021 Our News Comments Off on TPI Celebrates two of its advisors being named to the Condé Nast Travel Specialist List

Open Letter to our industry from TPI CEO, Zeina Gedeon

Dear Industry Colleagues,

Fifty-two weeks, 365 days, it seems like five years to most of us!

One year, the world has been on “hold,” sadly only enriched with increased stress, mental anguish, and isolation. I am sure you may have questioned your desire to stick it out; you’ve been angry, sad, and have grieved the loss of your business.  Over the last week or so, we hear everyone talking about approaching the one year anniversary of the pandemic and the pause in travel being declared, we’ve thought back on our past trips and how we spent the last few days of “normal,” if only we knew it was our last few days! But what if we looked at this anniversary differently?

This is the anniversary of 365 days of resilience, persevering even when things are hard, finding new ways to connect and collaborate; we have seen the Travel Industry come together in ways that we have never seen before. From our valued Supplier Partners to our Travel Advisor colleagues and everyone in between, you have stepped up and showed that even after 365 days of being faced with a pause, collectively, we can organize and mobilize in different ways. We can continue to show up for our beloved industry and find our voice to make a difference and connect in ways that we never have before.

While the last year has been incredibly difficult and devastating in many ways, it has also been overflowing with so many little blessings we otherwise would have never had the joy of experiencing. We’ve had the time to reconnect with our loved ones and creatively found ways to communicate while adhering to the stay-at-home orders. We have slowed down; we have evaluated our business and made changes that will allow us to be in a better position to serve our clients when the world opens up.

What has clearly emerged is customer-centricity, and digital are the two winners and opportunities for us to spark the recovery. I know for us at TPI, we had to reinvent our support and connections for our TPI Family during this challenging time. As a company, we continued to follow a framework built around our clients and partners to support efficiencies and new go-to-market strategies. We’ve invested in upgrading, enhancing and updating our back-office processes, database and training programs. We showed up and continued to show up for our members and expanded our offerings to ensure our advisors’ needs are met in several ways!

As we continue to forge ahead in 2021, I am positive, and I see encouraging growth, strengthened relationships and an industry that is together and unified. Your clients are waiting to catch up on their lost vacations, and your supplier partners are waiting to help you in any way they can. The future looks bright. Let’s take the lessons learned from the past 365 days and apply them to our business to ensure that we come out on the other side stronger, focused and proud of how far we’ve come!

I am proud and inspired by the way TPI and our industry as a whole has risen to handle this challenge – with flexibility, resilience, courage – and a caring heart.  Thank you for your enormous contributions.  I am sticking with Us. Let’s work together to keep going!

 

Zeina Gedeon,

CEO & President

Travel Professionals International

 

TPI would like to thank our Media Partners for their ongoing support and for publishing this open letter
OpenJaw
Pax News
Travel Market Report
Travel Press
Travel Week
March 11, 2021 Our News Comments Off on Open Letter to our industry from TPI CEO, Zeina Gedeon

#TPIWalktoberChallenge: PAX checks in with TPI Advisors Weekly

In support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Travel Professionals International (TPI) has launched a fundraising campaign called the TPI Walktober Challenge.

Throughout October, the TPI family is walking virtually along Canada’s Trans Canada Trail to raise money for the Breast Cancer Society of Canada.

Each day, participants complete a set number of steps, which moves them along a pre-set map that starts in Victoria, BC, and ends in St. John’s, NL.

As they participate in fun activities along the way, TPI advisors and staff are documenting their journey on social media using the hashtag #TPIWalktoberChallenge.   

Here, PAX checks in with TPI advisor Sherri Lavigne of Greater Sudbury, ON, to learn more about her participation, and progress, in the challenge! Read the complete article here.

Here, PAX checks in with Saskatoon, SK-based TPI advisor Dawn Patterson to learn more about her participation, and progress, in the challenge! Read the complete article here.

Here, PAX checks in with Moose Jaw, SK-based TPI advisor Charlotte Field to learn more about her participation, and progress, in the challenge! Read the complete article here.

Here, PAX checks in with TPI advisor Dale Einarsson of Dauphin River, MB to learn more about her participation, and progress, in the challenge! Read the complete article here.

Here, PAX checks in with TPI advisor Tracy Hamilton of Lethbridge, AB, to learn more about her participation, and progress, in the challenge! Read the complete article here.

Here, PAX checks in with TPI advisor Corry Ticknor of Orillia, ON, to learn more about her participation, and progress, in the challenge! Read the complete article here.

November 11, 2020 News Comments Off on #TPIWalktoberChallenge: PAX checks in with TPI Advisors Weekly

We have seen a spike in our bookings”: TPI’s Gedeon

When TPI surveyed its members this summer about plans for promoting travel, 78% said they were ready to “re-ignite” their travel marketing plans this fall, and of that 78%, some 63% said they had never stopped promoting travel during COVID-19, just modified their approach.

The high percentages showed “incredible engagement from our Advisors,” says TPI President & CEO, Zeina Gedeon.

Gedeon tells Sphere that based on feedback from TPI’s survey and its weekly network calls, the host agency launched its fall campaign last month, working with supplier partners on exclusive Advisor and consumer incentives.

“We created pre-templated emails, social media posts, postcard templates, exclusive consumer virtual nights for our Advisors and their clients,” says Gedeon. “Over the past four weeks, we have had over 482 clients attend our virtual nights.”

Not only that, bookings are up. “Our Advisors are very engaged with our key supplier partners and have been proactively reaching out to their clients that are holding Future Travel Credits as well as past clients who have indicated their desire to travel to get them booked for future vacations. We have seen a spike in our bookings over the past four weeks which is reassuring. This means that our clients are ready to travel.”

All eyes are on clients and their travel intentions but TPI is committed to helping Advisors through this unprecedented time too, says Gedeon.

“We have launched our TPI Cares Support Program designed to help Advisors and agencies through this period of booking unpredictability,” she says. “Through this program, we are offering a guaranteed commission split for two years based on 2019 sales levels.”

Even in the early months of COVID-19, host agencies were reporting an uptick in calls and emails from agents looking to go home-based. That trend continues, and Gedeon says more inquiries are coming in.

“We are very pleased to see the overwhelming interest from both storefront agencies and experienced travel experts who were previously with storefront offices to join forces with our network,” she says. “We are having great discussions with those looking for the freedom and flexibility to choose their own hours, manage and grow their own client base and book with the suppliers they want (at TPI, we pay top commissions on ALL supplier partners) which is especially attractive to those who book FIT custom international holidays and niche destinations.”

TPI is also gearing up for its annual conference, which is taking place virtually, of course. Scheduled for Nov. 2 – 5, 2020, the conference – themed ‘Re-Ignite’ – will inspire TPI Advisors to proactively re-ignite, re-invent, re-vamp and re-focus business, skills and strategy – and cement the foundation to enable to be ready for the future of travel, say Gedeon.

 Posted in Travelweek on October 20, 2020
November 11, 2020 News Comments Off on We have seen a spike in our bookings”: TPI’s Gedeon

TPI partners with Breast Cancer Society of Canada for #TPIWalktoberChallenge

Travel Professionals International (TPI) has partnered the Breast Cancer Society of Canada as it continues to raise awareness and funds during Breast Cancer Awareness Month through a new fundraiser called the “TPI Walktober Challenge.”

From Oct. 1-31, TPI advisors and staff are walking, virtually, along Canada’s Trans Canada Trail, from coast to coast, to achieve a combined total distance of 8,500 km.

 

Each day participants will complete a set number of steps, which will move them along a pre-set map that starts in Victoria, BC, and ends in St. John’s, NL.

READ MORE: TPI launches Walktober Challenge in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Advisors are logging their steps online and are sharing their progress with their clients (clients, too, can contribute their own steps towards each daily goal).

There are fun activities along the way, and participants are documenting their journey on social media using the hashtag #TPIWalktoberChallenge.

Zeina Gedeon, president and CEO of TPI, said she’s “amazed’ by the positive response TPI has received about the campaign so far.

“We are so amazed from all of the feedback and engagement we are seeing from our advisors and their clients for our #TPIWalktoberChallenge and we would like to invite our industry colleagues to join us in this virtual journey from walking coast to coast in Canada,” said Gedeon.  “We are so proud and thankful of all the efforts our TPI family (advisors, head office team and clients) have been doing to increase awareness and raise funds for this great cause.”

The Breast Cancer Society of Canada, established in 1991, is a national non-profit charity dedicated to saving lives through breast cancer research, while raising money to fund patient-focused research for the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of breast cancer.

“We are excited to have partnered with the Breast Cancer Society of Canada for our #TPIWalktoberChallenge,” said Gedeon. “The reason why we partnered with them is because of their mission to raise money and fund research to cure this devastating disease. All the funding they receive is from donors.”

Raise funds, have fun

TPI’s goal is to raise $10,000 through its #TPIWalktoberChallenge.

Thursday (Oct. 8th) marks the eighth day of the challenge, which will see participants walking from Yellowknife to Saskatoon. (According to the challenge’s official guidebook, this equates to 14,689 steps).

“We have a fun challenge ahead for all of us in Saskatoon,” noted Gedeon. “Thanksgiving weekend brings friends and family together to give thanks for all we are fortunate for, but this year we come together virtually with our families.”

The challenge this weekend is to bake an apple or pumpkin pie and share a photo of it on Facebook supported by the #TPIWalkoberChallenge hashtag by Monday evening said Gedeon.

Over the past seven days, the TPI family, collectively, has impressively walked more than 5,429,982 steps.

Industry colleagues can access the official step tracking form for the challenge here. The campaign’s official guidebook can be found here.

To donate towards the #TPIWalktoberChallenge, click here. 

 

Published in Pax News on October 8, 2020

November 11, 2020 News, News Comments Off on TPI partners with Breast Cancer Society of Canada for #TPIWalktoberChallenge

TPI launches Walktober Challenge in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and to increase awareness and raise money for the cause, the advisors and head office team at Travel Professionals International (TPI) are participating in a new fundraiser called the TPI Walktober Challenge.  

The idea behind the campaign, which runs October 1-31, is for the TPI family to walk virtually along Canada’s Trans Canada Trail, from coast to coast, and achieve a combined total distance of 8,500 km.

Throughout the month, participants will post fun photos of the destinations they “stop” at while organizing a fundraising event for breast cancer awareness.

Each day participants will complete a set number of steps, which will move them along a pre-set map that starts in Victoria, BC, and ends in St. John’s, NL, over the course of 31 days.

Advisors will log their daily steps in an online form, which they’ll also be able to share with their clients to track their progress (clients will also be able to contribute their own steps towards each daily goal).

There will be fun activities and bonus challenges along the way, too! Some cities will, for example, present contests involving apple pie cooking, pumpkin carving and Halloween costumes.

Participants are being encouraged to share fun photos of their walks and activities on social media and TPI’s platforms using the hashtag #TPIWalktoberChallange.

Inspired by a great idea

The fundraiser was inspired by a virtual trek the Planeterra Foundation, the non-profit partner of G Adventures and G Touring, organized in August.

The “Planeterra Trek Challenge,” as it was called, invited the travel industry at large to join a virtual journey to Everest Base Camp to help rebuild community tourism around the world following the devastating impact of COVID-19.

TPI was an active participate in this challenge, recording a whopping 4,597,881 steps and coming in second place for the most money raised. (They set out to raise $5,000, but in the end, raised more than $7,000!)

“One of the big wins of the Trek was the incredible display of camaraderie and how this Trek brought our advisors together,” said Zeina Gedeon, president and CEO of TPI. “Every morning I would log onto our TPI Insider page and see such inspiring messages from advisors and my Facebook feed was filled with videos of our advisor’s daily walks. Our TPI Trekkers were being cheered on by their clients, advisors and supplier partners. It was incredible to see!”

Gedeon said the Planeterra Trek “spurred on a movement within our organization” to get moving and work towards a goal together.

“We decided to keep the momentum going,” she said.

Gedeon stressed the importance of teamwork and giving back during what has been one of the most challenging times for the travel industry.

“In a year that has brought so much chaos and uncertainty, coming together to support each other and a worthy cause is so important, and it makes me so proud that our TPI advisors are keen and eager to keep on walking beside us,” she said. “Together we can continue to achieve great things.”

PAX is the official media partner for TPI’s Walktober Challenge. Stay tuned for more updates and follow along using the hashtag #TPIWalktoberChallenge!

 

Published in Pax News on October 1, 2020.

November 11, 2020 News Comments Off on TPI launches Walktober Challenge in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month

TPI ends fiscal year with strong outlook for 2021, 2022 bookings

 

Travel Professionals International (TPI) has ended the fiscal year of 2020 with a strong and positive outlook for 2021 and 2022 bookings, the company said on Wednesday (Sept. 2nd).

“This has been an unsettling year for all of us in the travel industry. FY 2019 was the best year for TPI and we were on track to outperform our best year” said Zeina Gedeon, CEO and president of TPI. “Even during such a tough year, we have seen 15% of our advisors grow their sales and achieve a higher recognition standing within the network. Our year over year sales are up are by 17%, this indicates that clients are ready to travel and are just waiting for the restrictions to be lifted. Our advanced bookings for travel in 2021 and 2022 are up by 43% versus the same time last year.”

 

Gedeon added: “We have seen an increased demand for domestic travel.”

Earlier in May, TPI announced that it had extended its Velocity recognition program benefits and the commissions levels of their advisors for the fiscal year 2021 and 2022.

TPI maintained the Velocity level and commission split of more than 30% of its advisors, who otherwise would have been negatively impacted.

However, advisors who have achieved new Velocity levels will be able to earn a higher commission split based on their new recognition level.

Published in Pax News on September 2, 2020

Published in Travel Courier on September 2, 2020

Published in Open Jaw on September 3, 2020

September 23, 2020 News Comments Off on TPI ends fiscal year with strong outlook for 2021, 2022 bookings

TPI Buoyant About Luxury Following VTW 2020

Travel Professionals International (TPI) is proud of its large turnout for the Virtuoso Travel Week virtual conference.

“The theme for VTW this year was the Value of Connections which truly captured the essence of the situation our industry is in. Participating in Virtuoso Travel Week is always so inspiring but this year, in particular, we have been able to participate in live digital sessions with industry-leading partners as well as expand our knowledge with relevant and inspiring Professional Development sessions that spur on the message of hope and optimism for the future of travel” said Caroline Hay, National Director of Sales, TPI.

“In a time of so much uncertainty, it is so incredible to connect with partners, talk about new and interesting travel options and feed our passion for this incredible industry”, added Hay.

During the week TPI hosted a Virtual Cocktail party for its Advisors. “It was not the same as the in-person connection, however; it was great to hear the stories of successful connections, and professional development training. With all signs pointing towards luxury travel being one of the first to rebound, our TPI Advisors are ready and armed with the information they need to assist their luxury clients in the future”, said Zeina Gedeon, CEO, TPI.

TPI is continuing its efforts to educate its advisors now that Virtuoso Week has ended. TPI is hosting weekly professional development sessions ranging from training on business tools, marketing and social media strategies to supplier updates, as well as weekly national town hall sessions

 

Published in Open Jaw on August 18, 2020

Also published in Pax News on August 18, 2020

August 19, 2020 Our News Comments Off on TPI Buoyant About Luxury Following VTW 2020

Quarantine cooking: TPI releases its first-ever e-cookbook

Travel Professionals International (TPI) has released its first-ever e-cookbook: Travel Eats with TPI.

Travel Eats with TPI features 100 recipes representing the best of quarantine cooking by TPI advisors, supplier partners and head office team during the isolation days.

Travel Professionals International (TPI) has released its first-ever e-cookbook: Travel Eats with TPI.

Travel Eats with TPI features 100 recipes representing the best of quarantine cooking by TPI advisors, supplier partners and head office team during the isolation days.

 

“Breaking bread as a family or with friends is a luxury many of us took for granted until we were not able to do this. So we decided to share together while apart which led to the idea of the TPI cookbook”, stated CEO of TPI Zeina Gedeon. “The project came together in just over eight weeks and we are thrilled to be able to increase awareness for our corporate charity Jack.org through this initiative.”

 

Jack.org has been TPI’s corporate charity for more than two years and is Canada’s only charity training and empowering young leaders to revolutionize mental health.

The recipes featured in the book come from across the world; most inspired by the travel journeys of TPI advisors, and some have been passed down for generations.

To download a copy of the Travel Eats with TPI cookbook click here. To donate to Jack.org click here.

Published in Pax News on August 13, 2020

Also published in Travel Week on August 13, 2020

August 19, 2020 Our News Comments Off on Quarantine cooking: TPI releases its first-ever e-cookbook
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