TORONTO — Any time a host agency creates a new program for travel advisors, it can only listen to its membership, double down on research and development, and then launch the program with all the best intentions – and wait for the reaction.

In the case of Trevello Travel Group’s Momentum, that reaction was favourable, and immediate, says CEO Zeina Gedeon.

“The response has been overwhelmingly positive,” Gedeon tells Travelweek in a follow-up interview as the program approaches its one-year anniversary.

Momentum is Trevello’s answer to what it sees as the challenges faced by travel advisors. Lack of pensions, limited business ownership opportunities, outdated technology and inadequate compensation are all included in that list of challenges.

Gedeon also wanted a program “built to remove the fine print, the exceptions, and the guesswork that have frustrated advisors for years.”

The program starts all advisors at an 85% commission split, rising to 100% after earning $15,000 in commissions, regardless of sales volume or tenure, and across supplier partners regardless of tier.

It was a gamble. But Gedeon says she wanted the low-fee, transparent structure to build trust. “Trevello’s goal is to empower advisors to build their businesses with confidence, knowing their compensation will always be clear and fair,” says Gedeon. “Advisors don’t want surprises; they want to grow on a stable foundation. There are no caps, no limits and no clawbacks; the program is designed to ensure advisors keep more of their earnings and can plan for their future with security.”

There have been tweaks. Gedeon notes that while the foundational structure of Momentum has remained unchanged, based on advisor feedback the platform now shows real-time payout reporting. Language around fees and inclusions has also been sharpened. “We listen, we refine and we keep improving,” says Gedeon.

Even with its geopolitical ups and downs, 2025 has been a strong year for travel retailers, including Trevello, says Gedeon. And in 2026 “we expect another year of significant advisor success.”

Next year will also see the host agency further expanding in the U.S. Earlier this year Trevello World Holdings acquired NC-based Gifted Travel Network. The deal marked the first step in Trevello’s strategic plan to expand beyond Canada and establish a foothold in the U.S. market.

Gedeon notes that Momentum has resonated with new-to-industry travel advisors, a coveted group for many host agencies. Gedeon tells Travelweek: “There was a young lady that was so nervous to give up her full-time job to focus on this as her passion. She wanted her husband and family to be proud and not be concerned that she was taking a chance on something that was straight commission. She was new to industry but loved our training and had a good network of people and loved to travel. Just a couple years later, here we are with her bringing her husband on our Chairman’s Circle trip for Trevello’s top producers. When we see someone take a chance and put in the work and then get to meet their family who’s so proud of them, it’s the best part of our work.”

Gedeon has been one of the industry’s more vocal advocates for service fees. Travelweek asked how that stance connects with Momentum.

“Service fees and the Momentum program form a compensation structure that recognizes and rewards the advisor’s value and effort, supporting greater professionalism and income growth in the industry. I’ve long advocated for service fees because advisor expertise has real value.”