Wednesday, July 16, 2025
Travel Planners International (TPI), a top host agency for travel advisors, has formed a new independent advisory board to connect its management team with the 5,700 independent advisors working under its umbrella. This program is meant to promote better communication and develop a sense of teamwork with TPI leadership and advisors, enabling them to help in planning the future direction and growth of the firm.
The launch of this advisory board is a defining moment for TPI, which has continually taken pride in its progression as a supportive, leading-edge, and open environment for its extensive network of independent travel advisors. The new advisory board is an important part of pursuing the company’s mission to increase advisor satisfaction and create success together.
Composition of the Advisory Board
The new advisory board is made up of eight highly regarded travel advisors from across the country. Selected through a blinded application process to create the broadest reach across TPI’s advisor community, these participants were chosen for their demographic differences. Its first members are:
Lisa Bourget, Quiet Meadow Travel
Kristen Buckshire, Travel Ease
Don Capparella, Quality Travel
Stacy Buckshire, Vacations by Stacy
Kim O’Hara, Eagle Eye Travel
LAURA POE, QUASI LAURA POE curated by Laura Poe
Lisa Vermaak, Blu Sky Travel
Effie Walthall, On Deck Travel
The advisory board will advise TPI’s management team on strategic decisions, offer developments in the industry, and deliver feedback from advisors to inform the company’s direction. The board is a loud recognition of how important advisors are to the agency.
A Collaborative Step for Growth
Jenn Lee, the President and Chief Marketing Officer of TPI, shared that the company recognizes the importance of improving lines of communication between TPI and its advisors. “We want to lean into their expertise and experiences while ensuring they feel heard and are a valued and trusted partner,” she said. TPI has always known that its advisors are its greatest strength, and this new advisory board is a way for the company to further harness that relationship by ensuring that advisors play an important role in the decision-making process.
Lee added that the space will serve to enhance communication, but will also provide more customized resources and support to advisors. “We must remain close to the heartbeat of the industry and ensure our advisors are supported in all aspects of their business,” she said.
Such commitment speaks to TPI’s continued refinement. The advisory council will be integral in providing input on TPI’s strategic direction, from the success of TPI training programs to how marketing materials can be more targeted towards the various needs of advisors in a shifting market.
A Focus on Advisor Needs
The Formation of the advisory board by TPI reflects a growing call for better cross-industry cooperation and relationships. Travel advisors are encountering more obstacles than ever, from evolving client demands to quickly moving travel patterns, to which TPI has responded with a program with its independent professional network in mind to help keep them profitable.
The advisory board will work in partnership with TPI’s senior leadership team to inform the company’s policies and procedures, ranging from the development of new marketing campaigns to the streamlining of back-end processes that can enable advisors to thrive. This gives the board more purpose than simply being consulted; rather, it allows advisors to contribute ideas, experiences, and enact change within your organisation.
Building a Community of Support
The development of the advisory board is a reflection of TPI’s continued commitment to fostering a stronger community of support for its advisors. TPI has always been recognized for providing strong back-end support capabilities in account of the top-notch training, lucrative commission plans, and hundreds of industry partners to access. As it launches the advisory board, the company is doubling down on its support for the advisors by giving them a direct line to impact decision-making and to give them the tools and resources they need to thrive in a fast-moving marketplace.
Lee said that it was important for TPI to listen to its advisors, especially as the environment in travel continues to change. “Our advisors are our front line in the field with clients, and they bring invaluable insights that can catalyze our future,” Lee adds. “We want to ensure they feel heard and respected throughout.
A Future In Which We Can Work Together
Advisory board As TPI grows and evolves, the advisory board will play a key role in its overall approach. The board will play a critical role in guiding us through short- and long-term situations as we continue to sharpen the agency for competition, innovation, and relevance to our advisor community.
…\r In closing, the establishment of TPI’s advisory board is great news and a reaffirmation of the company’s focus on investing in its advisors. With an emphasis on collaboration, support, and transparency, TPI is fostering an environment in which its advisors can flourish, grow, and impact the future of travel. TPI is including advisors in the decision-making so that their requirements are not only being met, but also positioning them as leaders in the travel industry. This is not just about shaping the future of TPI; it is about developing a more connected, engaged, and successful travel advisor community.
(Source: Travel Planners International Press Release)
