Group Leaders & Tour Creators

You’ve got the audience. You’ve got the vision. You’re backed by one of Canada’s most experienced group tour operators.
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Whether you’re a content creator, a subject-matter expert, or simply someone people want to travel with — if you have an audience and a vision for how to travel with them, we can help you turn that into a real business.

We don’t just support group travel. We build it.

Ellison isn’t a host agency that happens to accommodate group leaders. Group travel is one of our core specialties. We customize over 600 group tours every year — educational trips, performing arts tours, history and culture, culinary and wine, community and special interest groups, and niche experiences built around shared passions.

What we bring to your group travel business:

You build the experience. You lead the group. You keep your brand and your relationships. We provide everything that makes it operate professionally and legally — TICO registration, supplier access, back-office support, and the operational expertise of a team that has built hundreds of custom tours.

A lot of group leaders are already running trips. They just don’t have the right infrastructure — or the right partner — behind them. This is how you fix that without giving anything up.

That depth of experience is behind you from day one.

We are CSTO certified through SYTA — the Student & Youth Travel Association’s Certified Student Travel Organization designation — reflecting our commitment to safety, professionalism, and responsible group travel operations. When you build under Ellison, that credibility comes with you.

This is a fit if you:

  • Have a community, following, or niche audience who travels
  • Are already organizing group trips and want to formalize it properly
  • Want to create signature travel experiences around your expertise
  • Need licensing and supplier access — without becoming a traditional travel agent
  • Want a partner who actually understands group travel operations from the inside

Frequently Asked Questions

Not at all. Some of our most successful partners started with no travel industry background. If you have a passion for travel, an engaged community, or an idea for a great group trip, we’ll help guide you through the rest.

 

Group Leaders and Tour Creators focus on organizing and promoting their own trips, special interest tours or communities (think yoga and wellness, culinary, photography, pickleball…) while travel advisors typically build a broader client-based travel business. Many people start with group travel and expand from there.

Group Leaders can operate under Ellison’s existing TICO registration and compliance framework.

Depending on the type of travel you’re offering, your role, and how you plan to promote or sell your trips, additional requirements such as certification or business/trade name registration may apply.

Don’t worry — our team will guide you through what’s needed based on your specific goals and setup, so you can move forward with confidence and clarity.

Almost anything. We work with wellness retreats, sports enthusiasts, including golf, pickleball and ski, alumni groups, destination weddings, culinary tours, hobby communities, influencers, content creators, corporate groups, and more.

If you have a community or audience that loves to travel, there’s likely an opportunity to build a group around it.

Earning opportunities can vary depending on the type of travel experience you create and the size of your group. Revenue may come through commissions, markups, tour leader credits, complimentary travel, or a combination of these.

Our team will help you structure your trips in a way that makes sense for your goals and your community.

Costs can vary depending on the type of business or travel focus you choose. During your discovery call, we’ll walk you through the options, tools, and support available so you can decide what’s right for you.

No. While an audience can help, many successful Group Leaders grow through local communities, professional networks, word of mouth, clubs, organizations, and shared interests.

You don’t need to be an influencer to build successful group travel experiences.

That’s completely normal. Most people start with questions, not certainty.

That’s why we offer a discovery call — to help you explore the opportunity, ask questions, and see if it’s the right fit for you.

Ready to Start or Grow Your Travel Business?

Whether you’re just getting started or ready to scale, we’re here to support you — every step of the way. Contact us today to find out more. 

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