Friesen Travel Group celebrates its success at annual awards gala

Friesen Travel Group – which operators of 18 Expedia Cruises locations across Ontario — hosted its annual Consultant Rally and Awards Gala in mid-January, welcoming over 300 consultants, managers, and supplier partners for a full day of training and celebration as it marked a record-breaking year.

Shawn Friesen, President and founder of the Friesen Travel Group set the tone with the event’s theme, “The potential for growth is limitless,” highlighting the opportunity created by strong consumer demand and the growing importance of trusted travel advisors.

Said Friesen: “The shortage of trusted advisors and the demand for meaningful travel have created an abundant opportunity to make an impact by creating lifetime memories. This event brings the best team in travel together to learn, connect, and celebrate. What happens here shapes our trajectory for the year ahead.”

The Training Day was designed to build skills and, even more importantly, a connected network of peers and trusted supplier relationships. More than 40 cruise, land, hotel, and technology partners participated through keynotes, roundtable discussions, and a tradeshow.

Roni Higham, Manager, Sault Ste.Marie, said: “This day reminds me of how important it is to support our consultants at every level and to remind them they are part of a much bigger and very special community.”

The evening Gala featured keynote presentations from Carmen Roig, Senior Vice President, Princess Cruises, and from Matthew Eichhorst, President of Expedia Cruises.

Eichhorst noted that the room was larger than the entire Canadian network when he joined in 2002. He revealed upcoming technology innovations focused on simplifying complex bookings and improving business visibility.

New reporting capabilities, including Power BI tools, will enable consultants and leaders to better identify performance trends and revenue opportunities within their business.

The awards celebration recognized excellence across the network. Consultant awards were based on threshold achievements in sales performance, while store awards recognized revenue achievement by location, celebrating both individual excellence and team leadership.

Through the President’s Circle program, 38 consultants achieved Diamond status in 2025, each surpassing $1 million in sales. The top individual honour was awarded to Leanne Lavoie of Expedia Cruises Sudbury, who achieved an exceptional five Diamond in 2025. The top store recognition was presented to the Expedia Cruises Sudbury team for outstanding revenue performance, ranking 8th overall in North America.

Consultant Kim Johnstone observed that: “As a newer Vacation Consultant, just six months in, I found the entire day incredibly valuable and energizing. Learning from travel partners, connecting with peers, and celebrating together made it clear how powerful this community truly is.”