27 Apr Jackie Friedman, President of Nexion Travel Group, Named Among Top Performers by the World Travel and Tourism Council
Friedman honored at the 20th Global Summit in Cancun, Mexico, as part of the organization’s 30th anniversary celebrations
IRVING, TX (April 27, 2021) – Jackie Friedman, CTC, CTIE, President of Nexion Travel Group, the premier host agency for independent travel professionals, has been named among the world’s top performers in travel by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC). Recognized for the significant and lasting positive impact she has made on the travel and tourism industry, Friedman was honored at the 20th Global Summit in Cancun, Mexico, as part of the organization’s anniversary celebrations.
– J.D. O’Hara, CEO, Internova Travel Group
For over 30 years, WTTC has been fundamental in creating change and raising the awareness of Travel and Tourism’s value, not just as one of the world’s largest economic sectors, but also to the many communities and travelers enriched through their experiences. As the organization celebrates its anniversary, they are recognizing outstanding individuals who have contributed significantly over the past three decades and who will continue to positively impact the Travel and Tourism sector for years to come. Friedman was awarded for her long-term accomplishments as well as her exceptional and dedicated work throughout the pandemic.
“At a time when our travel industry was being challenged like never before, Jackie demonstrated exemplary leadership in providing support to our travel advisors,” said J.D. O’Hara, Chief Executive Officer, Internova Travel Group, the parent company of Nexion Travel Group. Internova Travel Group represents more than 65,000 travel advisors worldwide. “It comes as no surprise to me that WTTC has decided to recognize Jackie as a top performer in travel. Her strength, resilience and commitment keep driving our business forward and will no doubt be critical as travel and tourism move toward rapid recovery.”
Travel advisors were greatly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. For this reason, Friedman worked with her leadership team to introduce Back to Basics, a quick-learn training series; Chaos to Control, a virtual series focused on business recovery; and Chime-in Chats, bi-weekly meetings for Nexion Travel Group advisors to meet with senior executives. She partnered with industry experts to provide financial assistance webinars to members, set up a one-stop coronavirus information hub on Nexion Travel Group’s member portal and launched Virtual Escapes, a platform for suppliers to showcase their products to advisors so they could continue to help clients plan their next adventure.
At Internova Travel Group, Friedman is part of a small group of leaders appointed to be part of the Coronavirus Task Force, whose purpose is to collaborate across the divisions to share information and best practices and help travel advisors navigate through crisis. The group led lobbying efforts to ensure travel advisors had a voice as government considered financial assistance for the industry. Many travel agencies survived, thanks to their efforts. The task force has since pivoted to focus on business recovery.
From a business perspective, Friedman continued to promote the benefits and services of Nexion Travel Group among travel advisors of all experience levels. Her company produced Nexion EXPO, an open house for travel advisors who wanted to learn more about host agencies. Last year, she signed on 619 new members, a significant win for Nexion Travel Group despite a tumultuous year in travel.
Throughout her career, Friedman has been a champion for travel advisors and for the travel and tourism industry. With the amount of love and dedication she shows towards her work, she inspires so many travel advisors to achieve success. Many of those advisors owe their careers to Friedman, also known as the “godmother of travel advisors,” because she has brought so many of them into the industry.
Friedman joined the Nexion Travel Group leadership team in 2004 as Vice President of Operations. She has served as President since 2007, shaping the company into the top host agency that it is today. Thousands of independent travel advisors have found their home with Nexion Travel Group, where they are provided opportunities to grow their business through top-quality support in the areas of operations, training, marketing, technology and networking.
About Internova Travel Group
Internova Travel Group is one of the largest travel services companies in the world with a collection of leading brands delivering high-touch, personal travel expertise to leisure and corporate clients. Internova manages leisure, business and franchise firms through a portfolio of distinctive divisions. Internova represents more than 65,000 travel advisors in over 6,000 company-owned and affiliated locations predominantly in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, with a presence in more than 80 countries.
Nexion Travel Group
Nexion® Travel Group is a fully accredited host agency, offering membership to independent travel professionals since 1995. As part of Travel Leaders Group, Nexion Travel Group provides ticketing, operations and fulfillment support to independent travel professionals coupled with best-in-class tools, technology, marketing, education and support. Nexion Travel Group is the complete host agency for multi-agent agencies, corporate agencies, experienced agents and those new to the industry.