Travel Counsellors expands into North America with acquisition of The Travel Agent Next Door

We’re thrilled to announce the international acquisition of The Travel Agent Next Door (TTAND), establishing a transatlantic leader in the travel operator market and marking a pivotal moment in our global expansion journey.

At Travel Counsellors, we empower a thriving network of over 2,200 independent travel entrepreneurs through our scalable technology platform, supported by an annual investment of nearly £20m. This commitment to innovation includes the recent launch of TC Co-Pilot, our proprietary AI-driven tool designed to enhance productivity for our community of travel professionals.

TTAND, Canada’s leading travel agent community, operates with a similar business model and customer-first ethos. Founded in 2014 by CEO Flemming Friisdahl and two seasoned travel entrepreneurs, TTAND supports over 1,700 independent travel professionals. Known for its culture of care and entrepreneurial spirit, TTAND has rapidly scaled to become a leader in personalised, premium leisure travel in Canada, one of the world’s largest outbound travel markets. TTAND will continue to operate independently under its existing brand and leadership team.

A Partnership for Growth

This acquisition brings significant benefits to both businesses, including:

• A combined network of over 3,900 professional travel business owners
• A stronger international presence

Opportunities for cross-company knowledge sharing and, over time, the migration of TTAND’s community to our bespoke technology platform.

Expanding Our Global Footprint

The acquisition of TTAND accelerates our international growth strategy, expanding our operations to seven global markets. It also marks our third acquisition in three years, following the successful integration of Holidaysplease in March 2023 and the Planisto technology platform in January 2024.

Steve Byrne, CEO of Travel Counsellors, shared: “We’re excited to partner with Flemming and the team at TTAND, a business we’ve long admired for its entrepreneurial culture, strong community engagement, and exceptional customer care. Together, we’ll build on TTAND’s outstanding reputation and drive further success by combining our shared values of personalisation, innovation, and customer focus. This partnership represents a significant milestone in our mission to create a leading global travel platform that blends human expertise with cutting-edge technology to deliver unparalleled service and peace of mind for customers.”

Flemming Friisdahl, CEO of TTAND, added: “Travel Counsellors has always been a leader in supporting remote and flexible travel professionals, and I’m thrilled to partner with them for two key reasons: their alignment with TTAND’s culture of care and their commitment to innovation and technology. We’re excited to bring the benefits of Travel Counsellors’ market-leading tools and expertise to our team in Canada.”

Join a Global Community of Travel Entrepreneurs

This acquisition strengthens our position as a global, tech-enabled network of travel entrepreneurs, ensuring long-term growth, exciting opportunities, and continued excellence for all involved.

Ready to join a thriving community of travel professionals? Contact us today.