When you ask Jane Clementino, Senior Vice President and General Manager of TRAVELSAVERS Canada how the group’s members are managing their way through the ‘interesting times’ we’re all liv ing in, she’ll tell you: “Our advisors are navigating a lot right now, from airline disruptions and geopolit ical uncertainty to rising costs and clients who are being more cautious about where and when they travel.” But she’ll also point out that: “At the same time, clients are arriving with more ideas and infor mation from AI and social media. Our advisors are doing an excellent job of taking that initial inspira tion, understanding what the client truly wants and turning it into a realistic, personalized and well planned trip.” It’s a wide-ranging conversation that covers a lot of ground, so read on for the full story.

Can we start with a state of the industry update … and get your assessment of how things have been going so far in 2026? Is business growing or slowing? And why this is the case? What are the trends that you’re seeing?

We came into 2026 with a lot of momentum. Bookings were very strong at the beginning of the year, but things softened in the second quarter and for much of Q2, demand wasn’t coming in at the same pace.

The encouraging news is that bookings have rebounded in Q3, with sales now ahead of where they were at this time last year. Looking further ahead, 2027 travel has been booking strongly throughout the year, showing that travellers remain confi dent and are planning well in advance.

One of the clearest trends is the continued demand for travel within Canada. Canadians still want to travel, but they’re being more thoughtful about where they go, how they spend and the overall value of the experience. They’re also plan ning further ahead, which is a positive sign for the remainder of the year and into 2027.

Now I know that TRAVELSAVERS is always communicating with its members and I’m hoping you can give me some insights on the kind of feedback you’re getting from them. What are a few of their key concerns these days?

Our advisors are navigating a lot right now, from airline disruptions and geopolitical uncertainty to rising costs and clients who are being more cautious about where and when they travel.

At the same time, clients are arriving with more ideas and information from AI and social media. Our advisors are doing an excellent job of taking that initial inspiration, understanding what the client truly wants and turning it into a realistic, personalized and well-planned trip.

Profitability and efficiency also remain key priorities. Advisors want technology that saves them time, marketing that generates qualified leads and strong supplier support that helps them deliver greater value. The upcoming sunsetting of RevNet is part of that broader conversation, and we’re focused on keeping our members informed and supported as they prepare for the transition.

Another major focus is helping advisors engage their existing client databases more effectively. They know their clients exceptionally well, so it’s about using that knowledge to identify travel preferences, tailor relevant messages and inspire clients to prioritize travel again. We’re seeing that approach work, with business picking up again in Q3.

The industry has faced a lot of disruptions — the most recent, obviously, has been the strike by WestJet’s fl ight attendants — and advisors are the ‘unsung heroes’ of these kinds of situa tions (like Cuba, Jalisco, the Iran War, etc.) I’m wondering how TRAVELSAVERS Canada works to support them in these situations?

Our priority is making sure advisors never feel like they’re navigating these situations alone. We keep our members informed, share the latest updates and connect them with the contacts and resources they need to respond quickly.

We also work closely with our preferred suppliers to ensure information is communicated in a timely manner and that advisors understand the options, policies and terms and conditions available to help mitigate risk for their clients.

Travel disruptions naturally create uncer tainty, but that’s where an advisor’s experience becomes invaluable. They work tirelessly behind the scenes to rebook fl ights, adjust itineraries, fi nd alternatives and reassure their clients. That expertise restores consumer confi dence and helps make the experience as seamless as possible, even when the journey itself doesn’t go according to plan. Their work may not always be visible, but their clients know they have someone they can rely on when it matters most.

As a follow up, and this is kind of a good out of bad type question, have these types of disrup tions reinforced the importance of using a travel advisor with consumers? Can you talk about this? What are your members telling you?

It’s often when something goes wrong that travellers fully understand the value of having a professional in their corner. Travel has become increasingly complex, and while AI can help consumers gather information or generate ideas, it can’t replace an experienced advisor’s judgment, insight and ability to advo cate for a client in real time. Instead of trying to reach an airline alongside thousands of other travellers, clients have someone who under stands their booking, knows the options and can help determine the best path forward.

Our members tell us that these moments build tremendous trust and loyalty. Clients remember who answered the phone, remained calm, helped rearrange their plans and got them home safely. That experience frequently leads to repeat busi ness and referrals because travellers recognize the value of working with a trusted human expert, especially when plans don’t go as expected.

Changing the subject. The industry has always talked about selling Canada, and with the trade dispute between the U.S. and Canada, domestic travel has been booming, to say the least. For advisors, I’ve always found the problem has been fi nding the domestic product to sell their clients. Is that a fair assessment of the situation? Or am I off-base on this?

The challenge isn’t a lack of great Canadian prod uct, it’s making that product easy for advisors to find, package and sell profi tably. Canada is a large destination and many of its best experiences are spread across regional operators, independent hotels and local tourism businesses rather than available through one simple booking channel.

Domestic travel is also heavily driven by people visiting friends and relatives. With the exchange rate and ongoing global uncertainty making some travellers more cautious, many are choosing destinations where they already have a personal connection. They may not need a full package, but they still need fl ights, accommoda tions, car rentals and experiences, creating a real opportunity for advisors to bring those individual elements together.

That’s why stronger collaboration among tour ism partners, suppliers and advisor networks is so important. Advisors need accessible products, clear information and competitive offers they can confi dently present to clients. When those pieces are in place, they can turn a visit with friends or family into a complete Canadian vacation while creating additional value for both the client and their business.

As a follow-up, I was particularly interested to learn that TRAVELSAVERS Canada has launched its Close to Home campaign. Can you talk about why you launched the campaign? Were members asking for a campaign/program like this? What suppliers have you partnered with to create domestic product advisors can sell?

We launched Close to Home because both the interest and the opportunity were clear. Canadians were looking more closely at travelling within the country, and we saw an opportunity to make relevant products and offers easier for advisors to fi nd, promote and sell.

The campaign brings together more than 15 offers and three advisor incentives in one place. It features partners from across the travel industry along with a selection of luxury hotels. Together, these offers give advisors a range of ways to build a Canadian vacation, whether a client is looking for a rail journey, cruise, resort stay, hotel getaway, road trip or guided experience. Just as importantly, we’ve made the campaign easy for advisors to use. They have access to shareable social content and personalized cam paign websites labelled for their agency, so they can quickly bring these opportunities to their own clients. Close to Home is really about connecting strong consumer interest with the travel partners, offers and marketing tools advisors need to con vert that interest into bookings.

Naturally, I’m interested in how successful the Close to Home campaign has been so far, this summer? Have members been able to sell it? Are you happy with the results? Have you tracked the results? What are they like?

After we saw demand soften in Q2, we started asking more questions about what Canadians wanted from their travel. We found that many were looking within the country, but they needed ideas, practical advice and compelling offers to help them decide where to go and what to do.

We’re seeing particular interest in the Maritimes, Newfoundland, British Columbia and the Canadian Rockies. The campaign runs through August 31, so we don’t yet have complete booking results. Those will ultimately come from our supplier partners based on the full campaign period, and we’re continuing to monitor the engagement data available to us.

What we can already see is that advisors are looking at and sharing these opportunities because they respond to a genuine demand. We’re pleased with that early engagement and with the way the campaign is helping advisors turn interest in Canada into meaningful client conversations!

Aside from Canada, what have some of the hot destinations been for TRAVELSAVERS Canada advisors this summer? What have some of the ‘not-so-hot’ destinations been? Any surprises? Any disappointments?

Canadians have really been reconsidering where they travel, when they go and how long they stay. Rather than giving up travel, many are redirecting their plans toward destinations where they feel they can get more value without compromising the experience.

Europe and Asia continue to generate strong interest. Italy, Portugal and Greece remain popu lar, while Japan and Eastern Europe are gaining momentum as travellers look for cultural immer sion, fewer crowds and better value. Mexico continues to perform well as our leading sun des tination, and cruising is also picking up as clients recognize the value and convenience it offers.

We’re beginning to see curiosity around China as well. It hasn’t translated into signifi cant bookings yet, but the temporary visa-free entry available to eligible Canadian passport holders is making the destination easier to consider, particularly for travellers looking for strong value and a rich cultural experience.

The U.S. has been softer overall. That said, Florida remains relevant as a cruise gateway, and Las Vegas has regained some interest through Canadian-dollar-at-par promotions. The biggest takeaway is that Canadians still want to travel, they’re simply being more selective and looking carefully at where their dollar will go further.

One of the subjects we’ve talked about before has been the need to bring new people into the retail side of the business. I’m wondering if you can talk about the shortage of advisors and how TRAVELSAVERS Canada is working to help solve or alleviate this problem?

This is one of the most important challenges facing our industry. Demand for professional travel advice continues to grow at the same time that many experienced advisors and agency owners are approaching retirement, so we need to make it easier for new talent to enter the busi ness and build a successful career.

Our KORE advisor education program plays an important role in that effort. We’ve recently intro duced an enhanced platform with more Canadian specific content and a more accessible learning experience, helping people develop the practical knowledge and confidence they need to enter the market and begin working as travel advisors.

We’re also having more conversations with agency owners about succession planning. That means helping them consider what comes next for their business, whether it’s transitioning the agency to a son or daughter, developing an internal successor, bringing in a new partner or exploring opportunities to join forces with a larger agency. We’re already speaking with smaller agencies that want to reduce their day-to-day responsibilities while ensuring their clients and businesses remain in capable hands.

We are, as the saying goes, living in interesting times. And I’m wondering how TRAVELSAVERS Canada is helping its members continue to suc ceed in challenging times?

TRAVELSAVERS Canada’s role has evolved well beyond simply providing tools and resources. We see ourselves as true business partners to our members.

Our skilled Business Analysts work directly with agency owners in a consultative capacity, helping them evaluate their businesses, identify new opportunities and recognize areas where they can improve. Because we bring an external perspective and insights from across the net work, we can help each agency make informed decisions based on its specific goals.

There’s also tremendous value in the commun ity we’ve built. We regularly bring together different groups of agency owners to hear their perspec tives, discuss common challenges and share best practices. That gives our members an opportunity to learn from one another and recognize that they’re not navigating these changes alone.

We support that collaboration with an in-depth training program and a full-time professional development team. We’re also helping advisors use technology and AI to work more efficiently while preserving the human connection their cli ents value. Ultimately, the goal is to give advisors more time to focus on building relationships, solving problems and growing their businesses.

All that said, what’s the outlook for the remainder of 2026 — are you optimistic? Why? Or why not?

Yes, I’m increasingly optimistic. The rebound we’ve seen in Q3, with bookings and overall sales picking up again, gives us real confidence heading into the remainder of the year. There will continue to be disruptions and economic pres sures, but the desire to travel remains incredibly resilient, particularly as we approach the busy fall and winter booking period.

Suppliers still have capacity to fill for the remainder of 2026, so we expect to see some very compelling fall offers, including exclusive promotions and enhanced commissions. That creates a strong opportunity for our advisors to reconnect with clients and convert pent-up inter est into bookings.

Travellers are also recognizing that more complicated times call for greater expertise. As trips become increasingly personalized and complex, the advisor’s role becomes even more important.

We’re preparing our members through ongoing training, supplier education and professional development so they’re ready to make the most of these opportunities. Between year-end winter getaways and spring 2027 vacation planning, which is already showing strong momentum, the timing is right for continued sales growth as we close out 2026.

Last question … so, what’s the takeaway? What’s your message for your members and for the industry at large?

My point of view remains the same — we are a service-based industry so my number one priority is to stay close to our clients and supplier part ners. And stay on top of the changes happening in the marketplace.

At TRAVELSAVERS Canada, it’s our mandate to keep investing in our advisors’ success by providing better tools, education, accessible products and dedicated support. As we continue to remain connected and responsive, there is a great deal to be optimistic about!