Jackie Friedman, President

What challenges do independent travel advisors face when building sustainable business operations?

The word “independence” for solo travel advisors can be ironic. The more self-directed the business appears on the surface, the more structure it usually requires to stay credible, competitive and profitable.

Jackie Friedman, president of Nexion Travel Group , frames that reality in practical terms.

“Advisors do not simply need help selling travel,” she says. “Many are learning, at the same time, how to think like owners, how to market themselves, how to plan for growth and how to stay on top of the regulations that come with running a business under their own name. What this creates is not just a capability gap, but a scalability challenge.”

Nexion bridges that gap not by replacing an advisor’s independence, but by enabling it.

It works behind the scenes to provide advisors with the support structure they would otherwise have to build on their own. With greater scale, a built-in community and ongoing access to tools, guidance and training, advisors are better equipped to grow sustainable businesses while keeping their brand at the center of the client relationship. That journey begins with Virtual Campus, continues through one-on-one coaching and carries forward through Nexion University. In the process, advisors gain both resources and a clearer path to building an enduring business.

“We see ourself as an enabler,” says Friedman. “We are here to make independence more workable, more supported and ultimately more sustainable.”

Learning That Grows with the Advisor

How does structured education support travel advisors at different stages of professional development?

Whether a beginner or experienced, every travel advisor enters an educational pathway designed to strengthen professional identity and support growth.

For advisors entering the industry, Nexion begins with devising a structure. Some start in Virtual Campus, a 13-week cohort program that combines instructor-led sessions, self-paced modules, assignments and group projects. Others move independently through e-learning. Both paths offer a firmer start, blending guidance with flexibility while giving advisors room to learn from instructors and peers so they are not navigating business alone.

After Virtual Campus, advisors continue with six to seven months of one-on-one coaching with a certified business coach. The focus shifts to early business questions, such as choosing a specialty, branding an agency, or business building. The same logic extends to established advisors. Through Business Success Journeys, a fee-based coaching program, they can work with a coach on growth, stronger marketing or sales plans and bringing other advisors into the fold.

As advisors gain traction, Nexion encourages them to strengthen that foundation through its week-long Essentials program, where many become more confident and begin to define what they want to sell. Learning then becomes continuous and self-directed. Through Next Gen University, specialty events, regional conferences, job aids and ongoing training, advisors can continue building skills in ways that match their goals and work style.

Underpinning the program is accessibility.

“We are not trying to force advisors down a fixed path,” says Friedman. “They are independent contractors, so they have the freedom to choose what support they want. Our role is to make that available.”

Turning Supplier Relationships into Business Momentum

Why is supplier alignment important for driving growth and strengthening advisor business performance?

Nexion’s preferred supplier partners provide advisors with stronger commercial support, better access and closer ties to travel brands and industry relationships that can help them grow. Higher commissions are part of the value, but are only the beginning. Advisors can gain preferred standing with key suppliers, more responsive support and insider insight that helps them sell with confidence. Supplier-backed marketing extends brand visibility under their own agency brands, through promotional offers or campaigns built around travel styles such as expedition, adventure and culinary.

The greater advantage comes from fit. Nexion does not ask advisors to spread themselves across every available supplier relationship. It encourages them to build around the ones that best match their clients, sales focus and business goals, then gives them more ways to turn those relationships into growth. Lead generation, training, webinars, in-person presentations, business development guidance and access to supplier contacts through CoNexion and other exclusive events all help advisors convert access into momentum.

It is a triad of success. Stronger alignment drives stronger sales, gives suppliers more reason to invest, and creates a cycle of growth that benefits all three parties.

Bringing Order to the Advisor’s Workday

In what way do integrated tools and platforms improve efficiency in daily advisory operations?

Simplifying daily operations begins with restoring time lost to fragmented booking activity across multiple sites. Its exclusive web-based booking engine supports air, hotels and cars, while access to land and cruise booking programs and the major global distribution systems broaden what advisors can sell. A newer partnership with Tern adds CRM and workflow support, helping advisors build itineraries, manage trips, invoice clients and maintain communication after a booking is made.

The same practical logic applies to the business side of advisory work. Advisors can create profiles with up to five specialties, directing traffic toward the areas where they want to grow. An intranet site gives them access to preferred partners, reporting tools and commission tracking, making performance easier to monitor.

The tool set continues to evolve. Nexion is adding more AI and stronger integration with third-party platforms to reduce duplicate entry and make the business easier to run.

You Are Never Walking Alone

Direct access to Nexion’s team gives advisors practical support when questions come up in daily business. Whether they need help booking airline tickets, guidance on Nexion’s programs, or educational support, a phone call or email connects them to a team that can help them move forward.

That support system reinforces one of Nexion’s most useful strengths. Independent advisors may run their businesses on their own terms, but they are never left to figure everything out on their own.

From Personal Drive to Business Momentum

One middle school teacher joined Nexion while still working in education. He was inspired by an early connection to the travel business through his grandparents’ agency. But like many new advisors, he needed to manage the lengthy gap between booking and receiving commissions before making the leap to full-time agency work. Nexion gave him structure, supplier relationships and resources that helped him keep growing. He built a strong presence on YouTube through Harr Travel, expanded into a team of nearly 80 people and is now on track to sell $100 million in travel.

Then there was a former Seattle television meteorologist and cruise line brand ambassador who used Nexion to turn an established personal brand into a cruise group tour business. His first month saw sales of more than $1 million, and he has continued to grow the business by building a community around a hosted-cruise experience.

Where Community Strengthens Belonging

A sense of belonging is what keeps advisors connected to Nexion. Many work from home and build their businesses on their own, without the daily support of office colleagues. Nexion fills that gap with a culture in which advisors share ideas, learn from one another and take pride in being part of something larger than themselves.

“Competition exists, but it does not define the culture. Collaboration does,” says Friedman.

Maintaining that culture will drive Nexion’s next chapter. The organization is continuing to expand tools, training and business support while building more practical uses for artificial intelligence across everyday workflows. The goal is to reduce administrative burden, support greater booking volume and make running a business more efficient.

Hospitality Business Review’s recognition of Nexion Travel Group as Host Travel Agency of the Year 2026 reflects a model that supports independent advisors and empowers them to grow, evolve and step more fully into their professional potential.