Dugan’s Travels, a host agency founded in 1997, is making strategic investments to strengthen its support for independent travel advisors. The agency is focusing on improving its support team, education programs, technology, supplier relationships, and advisor development initiatives as it prepares for its next chapter.
Jennifer Dugan, owner of Dugan’s Travels, emphasized that the goal is not just growth for its own sake. “We’ve never wanted growth just for the sake of being bigger,” she said. “We want to be better. That means continually looking at what our advisors need, what our team does well, and where we can make improvements that provide meaningful support.”
The agency is refining the roles of its support team members—Christina, Shari, Tracy, Joleen, Cecily, Barb, and Jennifer—to better serve advisors across areas such as education, new-agent support, supplier relationships, events, and Five Star advisor development. “We have talented people with very different strengths,” Dugan noted. “Part of my responsibility as a leader is recognizing those strengths and figuring out where each person can make the biggest difference.”
Education is a key focus, with the agency enhancing its webinar program and developing initiatives for advisors at different stages. The Five Star community will continue to offer opportunities for established advisors, while newer advisors will receive support to build strong foundations. Peer-to-peer learning is also expanding through the Hear From Our Peers series, where advisors share real experiences and strategies. Upcoming programming includes an advisor discussing how her expertise in Scotland became a specialty.
Dugan’s University (DU), the agency’s educational and networking event, remains central. The team is planning future DU events with a focus on strengthening relationships and providing actionable takeaways. Technology is being evaluated with purpose, particularly CRM options, to ensure that new tools genuinely improve the advisor experience. “We want technology to solve problems, not create new ones,” Dugan said.
Supplier relationships are also a priority, with the Inner Circle program fostering deeper partnerships that offer education, marketing, and business development opportunities. Planning is underway for the next year of Inner Circle partnerships.
The agency’s philosophy is that improvement doesn’t always mean adding more; sometimes it means refining existing processes. “Our next chapter isn’t about seeing how many more things we can add,” Dugan explained. “It’s about looking at everything we’re doing and asking: Is this useful? Is it working? Is the right person handling it? And does it ultimately help our advisors?”
As Dugan’s Travels moves forward, it remains committed to its core values of people, relationships, education, and support. “We’re going to keep trying things, learning, listening, and adjusting,” Dugan said. “What matters is that we’re willing to keep looking at ourselves and asking how we can do a better job for our advisors and for the people who support them.”
For nearly three decades, Dugan’s Travels has been dedicated to helping independent travel advisors build successful businesses. More information can be found at Dugan’s Travels.
