ORLANDO -- This year marks Nexion Travel Group's 30th in business, a milestone the host agency celebrated during its CoNexion conference, Sept. 8 to 10 at the Loews Sapphire Falls Resort.
Nexion was founded as a technology company in San Jose, Calif., in 1995 amid the beginning of airline commission cuts, Nexion president Jackie Friedman noted during a media briefing at CoNexion. It was originally a technology solution enabling travel agents to work from anywhere via a desktop tool.
The company evolved into the host agency it is today, and was acquired by Sabre in October 2003. That's when Friedman took the reins, moving Nexion headquarters to Texas in 2005. Five years later, Internova (No. 10 on Travel Weekly's Power List) -- then known as Travel Leaders Group -- acquired Nexion, and the host agency been with the company since.
If Nexion's founders were to look at the company today, Friedman said, they wouldn't recognize it. "We've grown and evolved, and will continue to do so," she said.
Today, Nexion is home to 6,363 advisors, a 4% year-over-year increase. In the first eight months of 2025, the host agency added 849 advisors. Roughly 70% are new to the industry, Friedman said.
In a recent survey of 218 Nexion members, 45% of respondents said they were new to the industry, and Friedman believes that the actual percentage is a bit higher.
That survey also revealed what advisors are booking. Cruises were the runaway winner (71%), followed by family vacations (56%), custom itineraries (46%), luxury (40%), group trips (34%), romance travel (33%) and adventure/experiential travel (20%).
Friedman said she was pleased so many advisors are selling luxury, a segment that tends to be more resilient than others. She said luxury sales remain strong despite a roller-coaster year. Overall sales are up, but some segments, like mass-market products, are a little soft this year.
Nexion is seeing a trend reported by other travel sellers: a spike in close-in bookings along with a long booking window for products such as cruises, which are selling well into 2027.
Normally at this time, capacity for the remainder of 2025 would be sold out on a number of products, Friedman said. However, because of some demand softness, there is still availability, giving advisors an opportunity to sell to clients seeking a close-in trip.
"Do some one-on-one marketing," she said. "Fill that last-minute pipeline. It will not only help our partners, but it will help you, because if you're selling close in, you're going to be compensated close in."
Family Bonds turns 10
Nexion isn't the only one celebrating an anniversary in 2025. The Family Bonds Foundation, Internova's charitable arm, is turning 10. Founded by John Lovell, who left Internova this summer for Virgin Voyages, Family Bonds has been led by Friedman for the last eight years.
Family Bonds supplies grants to those in need in the travel industry, from advisors to suppliers, and even communities and organizations in some cases. It often helps the victims of natural disasters, caregivers and those grappling with illness.
While it is an Internova initiative, Signature Travel Network has also thrown its weight behind the Family Bonds Foundation as a corporate donor.
Friedman encouraged donations and nominations of worthy individuals. Nexion is fundraising for the foundation throughout the CoNexion conference. Friedman initially set a goal of $120,000 on Sept. 8, but raised it to $135,000 because $107,000 had come in throughout the course of the day.