The Travel Agent Next Door expanding into Quebec

TORONTO — Now with seven years under its belt, The Travel Agent Next Door is heading into a market that has long been on its list: Quebec.

TTAND will offer its host agency services to Quebec travel agents and agencies, says TTAND founder and President, Flemming Friisdahl.

“We are extremely excited to offer our services and support to Quebec agents. We have had many requests from Quebec agents and we feel the time is right now for us to enter Quebec,” says Friisdahl.

TTAND’s offering for the Quebec market will include a French magazine (through TTAND’s membership with Ensemble), a range of French language marketing services and tools and a French website for agents.

Friisdahl says the website and marketing services and tools will be ready in a couple of months.

Friisdahl personally conducts meetings with prospective agents, and that will continue, he says, adding he looks forward to meeting with Quebec agents who are interested in joining the host agency.

TTAND’s sales volume over its seven years in business has topped $500 million, fuelled by 508 Primary Agents and 380 Associate Agents. Friisdahl says TTAND has the highest ratio of support staff to agents in the industry, with 45 staff support staff.

He says TTAND’s ‘firsts’ among host agencies include:

The only online system enabling the agent to charge a cancellation fee or a ‘planning to go’ fee or any fee to accommodate agents who want to charge fees.
The only host agency to have 18 hours of ticketing support six days per week with no ticketing fees on any issuing of the ticket.
The only host agency to have developed its own proprietary websites where agents can customize 90% of the site themselves.
The only host agency developing a group module which can collect the customer’s credit card and personal information and still be PCI compliant.

Says Friisdahl: “This past year has been a devastating one but it has also created opportunities. We will be ready when the rebound comes — and there are strong signals that it is coming later this year – and even stronger in 2022.”