In the competitive landscape of luxury travel agent groups, Signature Travel Network is intent on charting its own course. Karryon recently sat down with Signature Travel Network Australia/NZ Managing Director Lisa Harrison and Michael Gazal, Executive General Manager of TravelManagers – STN’s largest member base in Australia – to delve into what sets Signature apart from higher-profile players like Virtuoso and Ensemble.
Nearly 12 months since Signature Travel Network touched down in Australia and New Zealand with local representation, its goals remain the same: to raise its profile, grow membership and to do things a little differently – with a focus firstly on members.
From the outset, a key differentiator for the US-based consortium is its smaller, more exclusive membership in the Australia and New Zealand markets.
As Lisa Harrison aptly puts it, “there’s definitely exclusivity around access to our programs and our offering, our value proposition, our value offering”.
“And we’re not necessarily about being big. We’re about having the right members in market,” Harrison says.
According to Lisa, this selectivity ensures that members like TravelManagers and the network’s second-largest member base Down Under, Entourage Travel Group, benefit from programs and offerings that aren’t widely accessible.
Perhaps the most significant point of divergence, however, lies in Signature’s fundamental structure: it’s a cooperative owned by its American members. And while Australian and New Zealand members are international affiliates rather than shareholders, Lisa says they are treated with the same member-centric approach. To this end, Harrison emphasises that “everything is about our members”.
“We do not promote our brand to our members’ customers at all. It is all about their brand, their call to action, and everything that we provide is about our members and advisors and their customers, ultimately,” she adds.
This “white-label” approach, where Signature’s brand remains behind the scenes, allows travel advisors’ own brands to shine and build stronger customer loyalty.
TravelManagers’ Michael Gazal wholeheartedly agrees with this lower-key philosophy.
Reflecting on his first Signature conference in Las Vegas, he noted how much the cooperative model aligned with TravelManagers’ values.
“When the [STN] CEO is talking about the members and not the brand, and that ultimately we want our members to shine and succeed and grow because of what we provide in terms of the value prop… I think that heavily aligns to the way TravelManagers in Australia, at the heart of it, operates,” Gazal says.
“We exist to support our network, and everything we do is a partnership.”
While this understated approach might mean Signature currently has lower brand recognition among many luxury advisors in Australia, its members are seeing tangible benefits.
Gazal highlights the impressive 40% year-on-year growth TravelManagers has experienced in January and February 2025, attributing it partly to their advisors leveraging Signature’s product access.
He points specifically to Signature’s extensive European hotel program, a crucial market for Australian travellers, as providing “value to their customers” and attracting “really good quality luxury advisors” to their network, even those who may have previously been aligned with other consortia. The overwhelmingly positive feedback from these new recruits speaks volumes, Michael says.
A lot happening
Harrison elaborates on Signature’s tailored approach to the Australian and New Zealand markets. STN’s hotel and resort program boasts over 1,300 properties worldwide (and continues to grow), they’re actively building a land program based on member needs, and they also offer a dedicated Destination Specialist program.
Elsewhere, their recently launched Aussie and Kiwi luxury cruise program is intentionally curated with just 12 partners to ensure relevance for their ANZ members, while the upcoming addition of expedition cruising to the program is another exciting development.
In addition, technology is a major focus for Signature. They’ve recently introduced a new training centre with a wealth of online resources and launched Hotel Connection, a hotel booking platform Harrison says has been well-received by Australian members.
Notably, Signature’s intranet, Signet, also now incorporates AI to enhance advisors’ expertise and efficiency – all within a white-labelled environment that keeps the advisor’s brand front and centre.
Looking ahead, Signature is committed to continued growth – particularly in its cruise and land programs – always with a keen eye on the specific needs of its Australian and New Zealand members.
“We want to grow with the market and with the network in the market, very much around their needs,” Lisa says.
According to Harrison, this dedication to member success, coupled with exclusive access to a global network and a cooperative ethos, positions Signature Travel Network as a compelling and increasingly influential force in the Australian luxury travel landscape.
And as Gazal aptly puts it, the partnership with Signature is helping TravelManagers “truly have a point of difference”.
So get ready to see Signature’s flag fly even higher Down Under.
For more info on Signature Travel Network, click here.
Earlier this year, STN strengthened its luxury travel advisor portfolio in Australia, welcoming 5 new Aussie members to the group.
