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What is a travel consortium.

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By Courtney Eisen

February 22, 2024

A travel consortium or travel cooperative is a collective of travel agencies, host agencies, and travel advisors that combine their volume to enhance their presence in the industry. They work together to increase their buying potential, benefits, and commission levels.

The benefits of volume.

Let's break down the benefits of buying power from top to bottom. If an individual traveler visits a hotel for a week each year, which would mean they were pretty loyal, they still only represent seven room nights a year. An agent who sends multiple clients to that same hotel could represent hundreds of room nights per year. Their agency may represent thousands of room nights. The travel consortia could represent tens or even hundreds of thousands of room nights for that property or brand. Do you see where we are going with this? The volume gives the organization more leverage to negotiate. Just like the individual traveler gets benefits by using an agency, an agency gets benefits by joining forces with a travel consortium.

Suggested Article: What is a Host Travel Agency?

Consortia and co-ops provide their members with various benefits and support. They assist with marketing, training, technologies, and supplier negotiations, among other things. For example, they offer direct mailings, hosted websites, social media content, and other marketing tools. They also provide technologies such as websites, CRM systems, online booking programs, and more. Additionally, they offer training opportunities like webinars, online courses, and events with educational panels. Moreover, consortia have greater buying power, allowing them to negotiate higher commissions and more amenities for their members.

You Likely Still Need a Host Agency

However, it's important to note that consortia do not provide an accreditation number or day-to-day back-office support like tracking commissions and basic bookkeeping. If you prefer constant support, a host agency might be a better option. Nevertheless, most agencies offer some level of backend support.

Suggested Article: How to Select the Best Host Travel Agency For Your Business

Independent advisors with their own travel accreditation, are able to join travel consortia as individuals. However, if you're a hosted agent, it's unlikely that you will need to join a travel consortium - your host is likely already a member, which gives you access to the consortium's benefits. To join a consortium, members usually need to meet certain sales thresholds and pay member dues. If you do not meet the requirements to join a specific consortium as an independent advisor, you can choose a host agency that is part of that consortium.

Consortia affiliations can have a significant impact on hosted advisors. A host's consortium affiliation provides benefits that trickle down to the hosted advisor or independent contractor. It powers the booking and marketing tools used by agencies under the host agency, impacting marketing efforts, access to higher commissions and amenity programs, and leads. Consortia affiliations help smaller agencies scale their business and access tools without having to meet prohibitive sales thresholds as individuals.

Travel Consortia Benefits

So, if you do join a consortium or join an agency affiliated with a consortium, what does that mean for your clients? Well, it means you can add a host of benefits. Benefits vary from brand to brand and even property to property; however, here are some common benefits that agents access through travel consortia:

Complimentary Upgrade Upon Arrival, If Available*

$100 Resort Credit Upon Arrival*

Welcome Amenity Upon Arrival*

Complimentary Breakfast For Two Daily*

Early Check-in / Late Check-Out, If Available*

These perks are similar to those offered by American Express. However, American Express only has access to select hotels. By joining a consortium or a host agency that is already affiliated with a travel consortium, you will have access to benefits for a larger selection of properties than even American Express, giving you a competitive edge and more consistent experience.

Our Travel Consortium: Travel Leaders

Our travel consortium of choice is Travel Leaders Network. Travel Leaders Network is a large consortium that represents the collective buying power of over 6,800 travel agencies. It provides various benefits for a wide range of travel vendors. Here is a breakdown of the offerings provided by Travel Leaders:

SELECT Hotels & Resorts

This program consists of premium properties from around the world. It offers VIP privileges to create memorable and authentic experiences for clients. These privileges include a special amenity worth $100, complimentary daily breakfast for two, free Wi-Fi, early check-in/late check-out, and room upgrades based on availability. Moreover, all advisor commissions are guaranteed to be 10% or higher.

SELECT Villas

This collection comprises over 2,800 private villas in more than 50 destinations across Europe, the Caribbean, and the Americas. SELECT Villas allows the agency to offer clients exclusive, unique, and customized experiences at a great value. The agency receives a guaranteed 12% commission and other benefits for both themselves and their clients.

Worldwide Hotel Program

This comprehensive and price-competitive hotel program offers clients the Best Available Rates at over 44,000 hotel brands and independent properties worldwide. Clients also enjoy flexibility with pre-payment, access to Last Room Availability, and additional amenities such as complimentary breakfast, parking, or Wi-Fi. Clients can book these three to five-star rated properties through GDS, pinSIGHT, or by contacting the property directly.

Enhanced Commissions

This exclusive offer is available to Travel Leaders Group advisors to maximize their earnings with higher commissions at participating properties. Commissions range from 15% to 25% on rooms and suites, in addition to the top-tier levels agencies already receive as Travel Leaders Group members. All properties offering Enhanced Commission are also part of the SELECT and/or Worldwide programs, allowing the agency to optimize both their earnings and their clients' benefits when making bookings.

In summary, travel consortia play a vital role in the travel industry by bringing together agencies, host agencies , and advisors to enhance their collective presence and benefits. They provide support in various areas and offer opportunities for growth and success.

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What Are Consortia and Why Do They Matter For Travellers?

For travellers seeking the ease and expertise of a travel agent, the term ‘consortia’ might not be on the top of your mind. However, understanding what consortia are and why you should be seeking out a travel agent that is part of one can significantly impact your travel experience for the better; who knows, maybe this could be the answer to all your travel woes?  

What Are Travel Consortia?  

By definition, a consortium (plural: consortia) is “ an agreement, combination, or group formed to undertake an enterprise beyond the resources of any one member.”  

Within the travel industry, this refers to an association or group that provides a community of travel businesses with assets that they may not have the resources or connections to obtain individually. Very often, with resources such as supplier contracts and deals, card transactions, and currency hedging, dealings can be made cheaper, simpler, and less stressful when they are acquired for a group rather than an individual.  

For example, Protected Trust Services (PTS) could, by definition, be considered a consortium. By being a member of PTS, travel businesses have access to exclusive supplier contracts that they cannot get on their own. This is because many suppliers are more willing to provide such exclusive deals for a group over a single business since this creates a much more beneficial relationship for them in the long term.  

Why Should You Care as a Traveller?  

Of course, this definition alone doesn’t really explain why you, the traveller, should care about consortia. Just because a travel agent is getting support from an association like PTS, doesn’t mean your holiday is going to be any better, right?  

Wrong. The benefits that PTS members or consortia members receive can directly impact your next holiday. This could be for one of the following reasons:  

• Exclusive Deals and Better Value: with travel agents reaping the benefits of exclusive contracts with suppliers, they can offer their travellers special deals, reduced prices, and even more fun for your money that you may not get with a travel agent building these relationships solo.  
• Financial Security: though financial protection is required of travel businesses by UK law, there is always the risk of fraudulence and the possibility that a travel business may not return your money even if the legislation says so. This isn’t a risk when you book with a travel agent that is part of a consortium. For example, PTS does vigorous checks on all members before they are allowed to be members at all, PTS also provides the foundation and necessary financial protection for all members, ensuring that your protection comes before their profits.  
• Better Expertise: this may not seem like a massive one in theory, but if you are booking with a travel agent for the expertise, or maybe you’re booking a destination or activity that comes with risks, a travel agent that is part of a large community of travel businesses like PTS members is going to have a fantastic network of information that will help them to help you. This includes introducing new holidays to their selection that they may not have without the influence of the community, so if you love a particular travel agent, but aren’t selling what you really want yet, keep an eye out!  
• Community & Sharing: travel agents in consortia are much more likely to be able to refer you if you’re looking for the protection they provide, but their niche simply doesn’t serve you. This way, you can reap all those benefits while getting the holiday you really want.  
• Tech & Tools: some consortia, like PTS, provide advanced travel technology and tools that travel businesses cannot afford or acquire outside of a consortium. This means online payment may be simpler (or possible in the first place), and when you book your holiday, you will have an easy hub to check your details and communicate with your agent.  

How Do You Find Out if They are in a Consortium?  

Many consortia do require members to provide evidence of their membership. This is true of associations and the CAA as well. You’ve probably seen many of the ATOL ads by now, telling you to look out for their badge, and consortia are very similar (all businesses selling flights are legally required to have an ATOL and an ATOL badge, so check for that too!).  

If you want to know whether your chosen travel agent is a member of PTS, for example, all you need to do is look in their shop window or at the bottom of their website, and if you see the PTS logo with their business name and PTS number on it, then you’ve found the right fit for your next holiday. If you want to be doubly sure, you can also type their name or PTS number into the member finder on the PTS website and check our database for them.  

So, if you’re looking forward to your next holiday, don’t wait, book now with a travel business member of PTS for 100% financial protection through trust. Or, if you’d like assistance choosing one of the lovely PTS members to book with, you can contact PTS directly at  0207 190 9988  or check us out on  Facebook ,  Instagram , or  Twitter .          

If you’d like to learn more about  your financial protection with PTS  or how the  Package Travel Regulations  protect your holiday booking, check out our pages and Travel Advice.  

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Unlocking the Travel Industry: Host Agency vs Travel Consortium

Greetings, seasoned and aspiring travel agents! We're here to journey together through some of the core business models in the travel industry, namely the Host Agency and the Travel Consortium. Many may wonder about the difference between a Host Agency and a Travel Consortium. Well, wonder no more! At Gateway Travel, we believe in equipping our team and our partners with the knowledge they need to navigate the industry successfully. So, gather your metaphorical suitcases and let's unravel this intriguing comparison.

What is a Host Agency?

To start off, it's essential to define what a Host Agency is. In layman's terms, a Host Agency can be viewed as the umbrella under which independent travel agents operate. As an aspiring travel agent, you don't need to create your own business from scratch. A Host Agency provides you established infrastructures such as GDS accesses, marketing functions and, client management systems. By working under a Host Agency, you gain professional exposure and access resources otherwise unaffordable when starting solo.

But that's not all! Arguably the most enticing benefit of working under a Host Agency is the possibility of higher commissions. Since they pool together the sales of various agents, they're often able to negotiate better commission rates with travel suppliers.

What is a Travel Consortium?

Next, a Travel Consortium in the travel industry serves somewhat a similar role on a larger scale. A Travel Consortium is like a 'club' of multiple independent agencies or companies. It’s a cooperative group wherein each member shares the benefits that come from their collective bargaining power. Furthering this thought, a Travel Consortium provides its members with access to preferred suppliers and negotiated contracts. Members also benefit from exclusive business development and training resources.

What gives Travel Consortium a competitive advantage is the marketing power. They typically offer marketing programs, and the chance for their agency members to leverage collective branding. It's also noteworthy that along with shared marketing, members can access training, networking events, and even insurance advantages.

Deconstructing the Differences of the Two Models

So, we get down to the crux of it all: the difference between a Host Agency and a Travel Consortium. The main distinctions rest on the structures, benefits , and roles they play in the travel industry.

From a structural standpoint, a Host Agency operates as an individual company where all its agents are essentially a part of the same organization. They work with suppliers and negotiate deals on behalf of their ‘team’ of agents.

On the other hand, a Travel Consortium includes varied agencies, each an independent entity, working cooperatively to garner advantages from suppliers. Thus, they tend to have larger marketing resources and comprehensive business support services.

But it's not a case of one against the other. The two models can symbiotically exist in the travel industry landscape. An independent agent can work under a Host Agency which is, in turn, part of a larger Travel Consortium. This way, the agent benefits from the support of the Host Agency and isn't impeded from enjoying the perks being part of a Travel Consortium.

Choosing the Right Fit for You

As you consider your entry into the fascinating travel industry, you may wonder which model suits you best. The decision truly depends on your unique business conditions—your level of experience, your financial capacity, and even your approach to risk-taking.

If you prefer the safety of an established infrastructure, then operating under a Host Agency would be your safe bet. They offer those beneficial "in-house" advantages. However, if you're keen on a more individualistic approach where you're still operating under the benefits of a group without having to assimilate into one organization, a Travel Consortium would be more appealing.

In essence, the travel industry provides flexibility to mold your travel business in a way that truly suits your entrepreneurial ambition. Remember, you could straddle both worlds and stretch the benefits as far as they could go. Work with a Host Agency that's part of a Travel Consortium, and you might just hit the jackpot without having to compromise on your independence.

So there you have it, a simple, clarified understanding of the difference between a Host Agency and a Travel Consortium! Gateway Travel is here as a beacon of knowledge in the muddling seas of the travel industry. And at the heart of it all, we believe, the best travel agents are those who continue to learn and evolve. So go forth, take the plunge and let's travel to success together!

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Agencies who belong to a travel host agency with a consortia grow their business exponentially while still maintaining complete control of their business. Learn from people who share your passion for travel and can’t wait to see you succeed. Work with a travel host agency and consortia to gain critical insights and assistance with marketing and more. Take your skills and business to the next level to give your clients the best travel experience possible.

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• Double the group space (we share our TCs)
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• Earn top tier commissions on almost everything you sell (no longer leave money on the table.)
• Keep up to 100% of your commission* and direct contracts where applicable. Yep, keep what works for you and use us for the rest!
• Half the fees of a consortia.
• We take care of the accounting for you, so you can focus on making more!
• FREE email software program, with unlimited contacts
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• FREE CRM technology so good, it’ll make your business smarter.

Go ahead, add up that savings…that’s REAL money back in your pocket.

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At TPI, we’re obsessed with YOUR success. It’s your brand, your business and identity. We spend our days and nights designing ways to support you throughout the life of your agency. We believe the best travel consortia empowers your success and growth. That’s why we do everything to help you work smarter, not harder. Get the best partner by your side when you choose us as your host agency and consortia.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is a host agency.

A host agency is a support system and unmatched resource for travel agents of all levels. Access exclusive tools, training and community to improve your at-home travel business. With TPI as your host agency, earn better commissions and help your business soar.

What is a consortium travel agent?

A consortium is a group made of independent travel agents, agencies and similar travel professionals. A consortium travel agent is an independent agent who belongs to one of these groups. They pool their resources and expertise to offer deals and options to their clients.

What is consortia affiliation?

Consortia affiliation simply refers to those agencies that belong to a travel host agency and consortia. This gives them the resources to rock their business to the moon and back! Ready to get the party started? Partner with TPI and watch your agency thrive and prosper!

How do I choose a hosting agency?

Choosing the best travel host agency depends on what you’re looking to get out of your partnership. Look for a host agency like us that champions your success across the board. We over 24/7 support, the highest commissions, host AND consortia exclusives, and more!

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What is a Consortia?

Consortia are a conglomerate of travel agency members or “mega-agencies” that have joined an organization and by doing this can now increase marketing to their customers by offering competitive rates at hotels worldwide. A consortia rate is a preferred rate negotiated between a hotel property and a travel management company “TMC”. Viewership of these rates in the GDS by a travel agent or other GDS user is restricted and the rate may be booked only after entry of either the Agents or Client authorization code. Originally started for small independent agencies, these consortium have become a major player in the travel industry. They are usually found using one global name (i.e. ABC Corporate Services), or continuing to keep their name, but using the relationship and tools of the program that they are members of.

Each program has their requirements to participate, but the standard requirements include:

• A minimum of 10% off the lowest single published rate (Rack or Corporate)
• Rate Parity
• Last room availability guarantee
• 10% commission to the Agent
• All rates quoted are to be guaranteed for the entire year starting from Jan 1 – Dec 31, unless otherwise noted.

Benefits of Participation:

Increased Visibility – By partnering with these programs hotels will be listed in each program directory, website, and will have a special rate access code through the GDS. This exposure includes agencies that book specified negotiated rates within the consortia umbrella.

Increased Revenue – Hotels will see an increase in revenue generated through these partnerships.

Relationships with Travel Agents – By being accepted into these programs you will have opportunities to form your own relationship with these agencies. Relationships that can help to generated exposure, and eventually leading to revenue.

Marketing Opportunities – Each program has a number of opportunities a property can participate in.

Host Agency, Franchise or Consortia?

Written By: Tom Ogg

When looking for a host agency you will notice that they all may different a bit. Some have no upfront fees, others require upfront fees, some are host agencies and other are franchise organizations. For the uninitiated it can be quite confusing. To make matters even more confusing, an agent can also elect to operate independent of a host or franchisor and simply join one of the consortia in the industry. Following are some descriptions that may help you understand the various kinds of organizations you may run into while searching for your host.

Host Agencies: Host agencies are travel agencies that “host” other travel agents, which are usually separate businesses from the host agency. Host agencies may provide airline ticketing services, cruise and tour operator overrides, quality control services, marketing assistance, a consumer website and tons of operational support. See the article entitled “Exactly, What is a Host Agency” for a complete explanation of how they operate.

Host agencies are usually great decision for agents brand new to the travel industry, but also make sense for seasoned agents looking for higher commissions and support.

Franchise Organization: Many people consider a franchise a “Business in a Box”. In other words, much of the organizational process is turn-key and the branding is generally recognized nationally. When you buy a franchise, you are buying a recognize brand and a sophisticated operation where hundreds of other franchisees have led the way.

Most franchisors charge a fair amount of money but also provide many benefits for the investment. Companies like Cruise Planners, Expedia Cruise Ship Centers and Cruise One are nationally recognized brands that offer turn-key business opportunities. Franchisors can also be a great opportunity for those new to the industry looking for a turn-key opportunity where all the work is already done for them and all they have to do is start marketing to generate an income.

Consortia: While many host agencies aggregate revenues for override commissions, consortium acts on behalf of its agency members. The main difference is that agents working through a host agency are rarely recognized by the supplier because the revenue appears as that of the host agency. Agents working through a consortium have a direct relationship with the supplier who sees their productivity as a separate entity from the consortium.

Of course you need to be truly independent of a host agency to join a consortium and this will require you to get one of the “numbers” that identify you as an active agent. Rather than detail it here, HERE is an article that defines the various numbers that are out there and makes suggestions on which one to get. Going independent is usually reserved for seasoned agents with a book of business they can leverage with the overrides available through some consortia.

As you can see there are a good number of decisions to make as you narrow your choice of using a host, franchisor or consortium. But, now at least you can see the differences.

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What is the meaning / definition of Consortia in the hospitality industry ?

Consortia are Associations or Marketing organizations which link together small to medium sized independent travel agencies to leverage purchasing power and marketing opportunities. Examples of Consortia are American Express, Carlson Wagonlit, BCD Travel or HRG.

The consortia rate is negotiated between the hotels and travel agencies and is only available to contracted consortia .

The advantages for a Hotel working with Consortia are:

• Greater booking potential: travel agents first look at participating hotels when selecting the right property for their clients
• High-yield business: travel agents generally make higher average daily rate ( ADR ) bookings
• Increased bookability: greater exposure in the GDS by being able to use the Consortia’s negotiated rate code
• Increased visibility: additional exposure in agency marketing collaterals, databases, communications, etc. promoting the Consortia’s hotel programme
• Distribution Strategy
• Channel Management

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Should You Join a Travel Consortium?

If you’re a travel agent, chances are you’ve heard about travel agent consortiums. If you haven’t, don’t worry, we’re going to break it down for you! Once you know all the information, you can decide if joining a travel consortium is the right move for you and your career. Read on:

What is a travel consortium?

A travel agency consortium (plural: travel agency consortia) is a group of travel agencies, host agencies, travel advisors, travel consultants, and other individuals and organizations in the travel industry. The goal of a travel consortium is to create relationships between travel agencies, vendors, and other relevant entities. This increases the commissions that each individual involved in the consortia is able to make, as well as provides more benefits for each agent.

How does it work?

Many travel consortia will require its members to meet certain sales requirements before they are able to join. There is also typically a membership fee, as well as membership dues you will have to pay once you have joined.

After you join, the consortium will provide you with training and resources . They may also provide you with networking connections that may be more difficult to come by as an independent travel agent. These important resources are why travel consortiums require a fee. It’s basically like a club that members pay to join, but once you’re in, there are some great perks!

The pros and cons of joining a travel consortium

Travel consortia are typically founded by veterans in the travel agent industry. If you’re just starting out as a travel agent , joining a travel consortium can help show you the ropes and teach you everything you need to know to be an excellent travel agent or advisor. Lots of travel consortia will also provide you with industry training, courses, and certification to further your career as a travel agent. Typically, many travel consortia will also provide you with technology help, such as give you a hosted agent website and social media management assistance. Many consortia will also provide marketing assistance to help you promote yourself as a travel agent or consultant.

Like we mentioned before, another benefit of joining a consortium is being able to make higher commissions. Because a consortium is a group of travel agents and hosts, it is usually able to negotiate a larger commission from its partners and vendors. When the consortium makes a higher commission, you will make a higher commission as well.

We also mentioned this briefly, but joining a consortium can also provide you with connections within the travel industry it may be harder to make on your own. Connections with suppliers, partners, and other travel agents and hosts can teach you more about the industry and how to be successful in this field.

Although there are clearly many benefits to joining a consortium, there are also some reasons you may prefer to be independent instead. Firstly, travel consortiums do not provide you with an accreditation number. In case you don’t know, an accreditation number is a series of digits assigned to travel agents and consultants so that their business is recognized as an official travel agency. You will need your accreditation number to book trips, accommodation, and other services for your clients. In order to obtain one, you have to meet certain requirements and go through a process that travel consortia will not help you with.

Travel consortia also do not provide support for day-to-day things such as keeping track of your commissions, helping you with your daily reports, and other daily tasks.

What are some examples of a travel consortium?

If you decide that joining a consortium is the best move for you and your career, the next step is to pick which consortium to join. There are many well-known travel consortia throughout the world. See the below travel consortium list for consortia that are popular in the U.S and Canada.:

• Signature Travel Network
• Travel Leaders Network (and its affiliate Vacation.com )
• Ensemble Travel Group If you are based in the U.K., you may have heard of the popular travel consortia Advantage Travel Partnership or Elite Travel Group.

Another popular travel consortia is Virtuoso , which is based in the U.S., China, and Australia.

How do I choose a consortium to join?

With so many to choose from, it might be overwhelming! Here is a checklist of topics to consider when choosing which consortium is the best fit for you:

• What is the membership fee?
• Are there membership dues? How much are they?
• What is the sales threshold I have to make before joining?
• Does it provide training and resources?
• What technology does it provide? (Hosted websites, assistance with social media, etc.)
• Do they help me with marketing to better advertise my services?

Armed with your new knowledge of travel consortia, we hope you are better able to decide if joining one is the right move for you, or if you would rather remain independent . Congratulations on starting your travel agent journey!

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Homepage › About Us › Latest News & Blog › The value of joining a travel agent consortium

The value of joining a travel agent consortium

• 25 Feb 2021

Kelly Cookes

The world as we know it has changed in many ways because of the pandemic, but when restrictions are lifted and borders opened, travellers will want to become the great explorers again.  With a new travel landscape, I think it is likely that consumers will require the knowledge and guidance of their trusted travel agent – and many agents may look to lean on the support that a consortium can provide, to help elevate their business through the group’s collective knowledge and the tools available to them.

Consortiums have access to technology, marketing, and training programmes to provide education to its members. By working closely with other industry bodies, they can also form alliances to ensure that the travel agents’ voice is heard – and as we have seen throughout the Coronavirus pandemic, this has never been so important.  A strong network will help travel agents support their clients in a post-Covid world, but it’s important for agents to choose the right consortium for them. Here are my top tips of what to consider when choosing a consortium :

• Look at how the business is operated. Is it part of a larger PLC, member-owned or independently owned? Be clear on what that group’s strategy is and how a partnership with them would work to ensure it aligns with your business’ goals and needs.
• Investigate each of the different models that the organisation offers and check if there is a broad enough range. Your business may evolve over time and need a different offering in the future, so it is beneficial to understand the full picture on what is available.
• Review the type of model you’re considering in detail. If you are looking at a model that involves a trust account, be sure to find out what monies are contributed into the account and how it is run. For example, Advantage Managed Services (AMS) ensures that all pipeline monies are protected in a trust account, but this can differ between consortiums.
• Look at the breadth of the commercial offering and the consortium’s negotiated terms with its key partners to see how this will benefit your business. Do they offer an incentive programme and tactical opportunities to help you encourage enquiries and drive bookings? 
• Marketing is key. Have a look at the collateral that is produced for members and assess what is included in the membership and where there may be an additional fee. Does the marketing collateral work for your different marketing channels? Consider external factors too, for example, the pandemic has meant there has been a shift towards digital and social media marketing.
• Do they offer the right tools and incentives to suit your area of expertise? For example, at Advantage we have our ‘Cruise Champs’ community to help agents enhance their knowledge in cruising, whilst also benefiting from specific marketing and commercial opportunities such as the Cruise Guide and dedicated cruise videos for clients.
• What support does the consortium offer its members? This could include things such as events, business development managers and specialist services. Think about how this can all help to support you to achieve your business goals.
• Speak to a third party – supplier partners and other members as they will give you a real insight into what it is like to work with that organisation.
• Look at the other organisations that the consortium works closely with such as ABTA, CLIA, CAA etc. It will always be beneficial to have strong links with other industry bodies, especially during times of crisis.

If you would like to find out more about Advantage and becoming a member, please contact us here .

This post is tagged:

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Leisure Director of Advantage.

Inspirations

Travel agent consortia: what’s in it for you.

Should you join a travel agent consortium? Gary Peters speaks to those in the know to determine the benefits.

Advantage Travel Partnership: Paula Lacey, outgoing group membership & commercial director

History of consortium

Advantage Travel Partnership is the UK’s largest independent travel agent partnership. Advantage leisure and business travel agents who are part of the group are each independently owned, but as a collective they produce more than £4.5bn of travel sales each year, making members experts in every aspect of the travel industry.

Number of members and annual cost of membership

[We have] 353 member companies with more than 650 locations through the UK. All members are independent. Each member is an individual business and we tailor support accordingly. [Annual cost] depends on the size of the members business. However, on average our members receive annual benefits equal to 20x their subscription fee investment.

Benefits of being a member

Advantage is owned by its members, ensuring they have control over the destiny of the organisation. We are the top selling consortia for more than 100 suppliers, meaning we can deliver best-in-class commercial deals. We also have a wide range of marketing programmes to help members with customer retention and acquisition, as well as dedicated business development managers to offer support. Product specific schemes such as cruise champions, luxury connoisseurs and a new explorers scheme help members get a strong foothold in the growing adventure and touring markets.

Measures to educate members about cruise

We have a very specific and targeted focus on cruise and as such it has its own dedicated resource. We have a Cruise Champions strategy, with over 140 members, and these are members that are either already knowledgeable in cruise or members that want to grow their cruise business.

We also provide a range of dedicated marketing services, including cruise guides, while a recent innovation was Cruise Finder, which can be used by members to easily match the perfect cruise to a clients’ needs. Soon we’ll be launching Cruise & More within the Advantage Holidays platform, giving members the ability to repackage cruise at highly competitive prices under the Advantage ATOL.

AITO, Gemma Antrobus, chair AITO specialist travel agents

AITO was started as an association for independent tour operators in 1976. Some 19 years later, in 1995, the association expanded to include an agents’ division, initially set up as a distribution channel for the specialist independent tour operator product that’s available within the association

Approximately 100 agents, 120 tour operators, 50 affiliates and 35 tourist boards, which is growing every month. For travel agents with one branch [the price] is £458 + VAT, with a sliding scale for additional branches and homeworkers.

It is the access to niche and specialist product that non-AITO Agent members (and thus the consumer) can’t, respectively, either sell or find elsewhere on the high street. Many of the small and niche tour operators do not sell via any agent network other than AITO agents, so this gives AITO agents a good USP in the overcrowded marketplace that is now ‘retail’ sales, whether that be from a shop front, an office or as a homeworker.

AITO has recently welcomed new river cruise members to the association. AITO continues to recruit cruise companies that meet its membership criteria in respect of independence. Education comes in the form of our regular product training events, which are well attended by agents.

Co-op Travel Consortium, Alison Holmes, head of Co-operative Travel Consortium

The consortium is now in its sixth year and is enjoying steady growth. We wanted to create a consortium that reflects the Co-Operative values for our members.

70 independent travel agents, made up of a mixture of call centres, retail shops, and homeworking businesses. We charge a management fee based on agents’ net commission.

We supply our members with ABTA and ATOL facilities, market-leading commercial terms with suppliers, merchant facilities, reduced administration and overhead costs through our centralised payment system, as well as support and advice on any regulatory matters and general day-to-day support.

[We] arrange webinars with cruise suppliers, events and promote ship visits.

Global Travel Group, Rhian Herbert, head of new business development

Global Travel Group is a travel consortium with more than 25 years of established travel business, providing travel agents with training, commercial and technical support, marketing resources and ATOL protection, which allows our members to dynamically package and tailor holidays to their clients’ needs.

Global Travel Group has more than 350 members, with people from all backgrounds and experiences. Our comprehensive two-week training course provides all types of agents with the necessary skills they require to start their own travel business. There is a one-off fee to become a member of Global Travel Group, regardless of whether you want to be based at home, office or a retail shop. This is £14,995 plus VAT – however, if you are already working in the travel industry the joining fee is waived.

Being part of dnata, a major global player in the travel market, allows us to offer substantial additional benefits to our members including the increase in the strength of our buying power and stronger commercial terms with many travel industry suppliers. The main benefits of being a member also include core training, commercial and technical support, marketing resources and ATOL protection.

We have also partnered with  mybookingrewards.com  to help our agents earn rewards on holiday bookings at more than 2,000 hotels and destinations, with the benefit of being able to manage them all in one place.

We hold a series of regional one-day training events, providing agents and suppliers with the opportunity to enjoy valuable one-on-one meetings during speed-networking sessions. In the past we have also held on-board training sessions, giving agents essential experience of cruise ships and the calibre of features their customers can expect at sea. There are also dedicated cruise marketing programmes taking place throughout the year.

Hays Travel, Jonathon Woodall, group head of commercial and cruise

From its humble beginnings in 1980, Hays Travel has grown from a small retail shop in Seaham, Sunderland, to the UK’s largest independent travel agent. A key ingredient in this success was the formation of the Hays Travel Independence Group in 1995, formed to provide other independent travel companies with the tools and support necessary to run a successful travel business.

We have 108 members trading from more than 200 locations. All members bring a diverse range of travel agencies to the consortia; from high street shops to telesales operators, online travel agents, corporate travel management companies and homeworker networks. We also have over 250 homeworkers.

Costings vary depending on the size, needs and the type of membership that the member holds. While monthly costs are kept to a minimum, our contracts usually involve a commission split ranging from 10 per cent for an independent travel agent in their own retail shop, to 70 per cent where we generate all the customer leads for a homeworker.

We have a complete off-the-shelf solution. We are a large and well-established company with substantial buying power, therefore we have excellent commercial terms with some of the UK’s biggest tour operators and suppliers. All members are issued with their own ABTA number and can offer fully financially protected bookings to their customers. We also provide cutting-edge travel software and our very own tour operating system, providing access to unique in-house products.

We actively encourage our members to attend educational events hosted by cruise lines. We often include these as part of our annual conference or roadshows so people can familiarise themselves with what’s on offer. We also have webinars available for one-to-one cruise training. On top of all this, we have a dedicated cruise team in head office who are constantly sharing the latest cruise offers and deals.

InteleTravel, Tricia Hughes, UK Director

Globally InteleTravel is the largest homeworking agency and is recognised by the world’s leading travel brands.

Core objectives

[Our next step] is about taking our education and tutorials to a different level. After two years the agency finally achieved ABTA approval in March 2019 and is now fully ensconced into the UK travel industry.

In the UK it is 3,000 members. There is a £144 one-off fee, plus £32 per month.

Our main benefits include access to partner training, education, and competitive commercial deals, providing good commission earnings.

[We are focusing on] delivering high-intensity cruise training that can be shared with customers, customer presentations and ship visits, promoting CLIA benefits, attending CLIA conferences and dedicated cruise webinars.

The Travel Network Group, Alexis Coles-Barrasso, director of PR and communications

The Travel Trust Association (a part of the Travel Network Group) was established in 1993 and was designed for travel businesses looking for an alternative to bonding arrangements. All money is secured into a member’s own individual trust account and guaranteed by the Travel Trust Association. Travel Trust Association membership also gives tour operators and travel agents full compliance within the industry’s travel regulations and the tools to book without the need for any financial bonds, security or net assets.

With a 1,000-strong membership base, our members range from some of the UK’s largest networks of independent travel retailers and multi-million-pound e-commerce travel companies through to smaller family-run high street travel agents and self-employed homeworkers, demonstrating that we have membership propositions to suit all travel enterprises, large or small. We have around 120 homeworkers that operate under the Independent Travel Experts brand. They are a key part of our business and we are attracting new homeworkers all the time.

[Cost of membership] varies from brand to brand.

Over the last few years, our business has become the fastest-growing travel membership organisation in the UK, purely due to our obsession with delivering world-class support to our members. We have transformed our business in recent years through ensuring that we take a professional, timely and easy-to-do-business-with approach to everything we do.

Members actively selling cruise

The vast majority of our members are actively selling cruise. We established a cruise tour operation two years ago, called Cruise Club Concierge, that assists with selling and packaging cruise. It’s been very successful and is growing all the time.

We run workshops, open days and seminars throughout the year that cover cruising and how members can grow their cruise sales. We also host an annual cruise conference and work closely with cruise lines to make sure we are at the forefront of their developments and agent offers.

Travel Counsellors, Kirsten Hughes, managing director

Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, the Travel Counsellors business model was one of the first of its kind in the UK to offer travel professionals the opportunity to run their own corporate or leisure travel business from home or shared offices.

More than 1,200 Travel Counsellors in seven countries (UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, South Africa, Australia, and the UAE), and 400 support team colleagues across the globe. There is no annual fee, although there is an initial joining fee. The entry fee for experienced travel professionals is £295 + VAT.

We empower professional people to launch and grow a successful travel business in an industry they love, providing the support, tools, and technology to focus on creating brilliant travel experiences and building long-lasting customer relationships.

We also use technology to enhance the human touch, not replace it. Our bespoke-built booking platform ‘Phenix’, enables access to hundreds of travel suppliers and cruise companies, allowing each Travel Counsellor to create customised travel itineraries finely tuned to client preferences and booking behaviour.

This year alone we have hosted up to 100 dedicated cruise-themed roadshows, training initiatives and events in partnership with cruising suppliers to keep individual Travel Counsellors up-to-date with the latest innovations and product developments in the cruise industry and identify the very best travel experiences available.

There is also a dedicated, in-house TV channel, TCTV, which hosts a weekly cruise-focused show, featuring representatives from international cruise suppliers and the latest news from the industry.

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Choosing the right consortium can be critical to bringing growth and value 

Post date: Nov 25 2021

Date: Nov 25 2021

By: Jill Wykes

The travel industry is always evolving and one of the biggest mistakes travel agencies and travel agents can make is becoming too comfortable where they are.

You have to keep looking around, learning about new trends, finding out what is available from other sources and laying the groundwork for future growth.

Otherwise, you will just stay where you are without being aware of opportunities to grow your business and adapt to the evolution of the industry.

Consortiums evolve too – some more than others

This is certainly true when it comes to choosing the right consortium to support your business.

They are not all the same, do not offer the same opportunities for growth and some have kept up much better than others. But you won’t know this if you don’t take the time to look around, ask questions and find out what has been happening outside your own sphere.

It is incumbent on travel agents to take the time to research what is available to them on an ongoing basis. Don’t just assume that consortiums have stayed the same since you last looked into them. And don’t be afraid to make a switch if you can see there are more benefits to your business elsewhere.

As reported in Travelweek  last month, the Travel Agent Next Door made a move to a new consortium – TL Network – effective Nov. 1. The move was not done in haste and a tremendous amount of research was done –  and all of the TTAND agents were surveyed in the process to make sure this was the right step for everyone.

According to founder Flemming Friisdahl, this move was not done because TTAND was not happy where they were. It was done because they realized that in order to continue to grow and offer its agent partners MORE, this move was essential.

Impressive list of new benefits for TTAND agents

Friisdahl shared in detail the key benefits of the move as outlined below and more importantly, how the growth of TTAND and the impact for agents in the network would be enhanced.

Hotel program

• One of the most luxurious and extensive hotel programs – SELECT Hotel & Resort Program – with over 1600 of the world’s most distinguished and premium hotels which span over 104 countries worldwide.
• 117 Four Seasons, over 170 Marriott International and Jumeriah, Belmond, Ritz, Mandarin, Peninsula, Shangri-La, IHG & Hilton.
• Almost 25% of SELECT properties offer enhanced commission ranging from 11%-25%
• Villa program with 2,500 private villas throughout Europe, the Caribbean & Americas.
• The Worldwide Hotel Program includes over 42,000 hotels in 169 countries & 7,300 cities
• All properties offer at least 10% commission with certain properties ranging up to 20%

Cruise program 

• Offers a unique cruise booking engine – Cruise Pro, which comes with easy to navigate search functions
• Cruise booking engine is available to clients with the ability to be both TTAND- and custom-branded
• The TLN Cruise Program has the most cruise groups than any other consortium, with almost 90,000 cabins being secured with one cruise line alone
• The TLN Cruise Program offers

* Over 4,000 amenity included departures * Culinary & wine themed sailings for food enthusiasts * Distinctive Voyages for the opportunity of hosted tours * Private car & driver program

. A VIP cruise magazine to target cruise clients

Tags: Lead Story, TTAND

Jill Wykes is a travel industry veteran who has held a series of senior management portfolios in travel corporations. A former chairman of the Travel Industry Council of Ontario, she is now an independent communications consultant and writer since retiring in 2011.

It's time to take your business to the next level. Make sure you have the right partnerships to get you there!

What is a consortium, marketing and advocating for you.

In the travel industry, consortia are organizations that work for travel advisors by combining resources and revenues for increased commissions, commission overrides, and business development opportunities. In many cases, consortia provide a competitive edge by negotiating with individual hotels, cruise lines, and travel suppliers to offer a price advantage and/or additional amenities to travel advisors and their clients.

Do I have to join a consortium?

Not at all the option is entirely up to you. all travel agencies, franchises, and host agencies have the option to join a consortium; however, the travel industry does allow for a maximum of one consortium affiliation per agency. independent travel advisors do have the opportunity to work under multiple agencies, effectively gaining access to several different consortia. just make sure it's in the best interest of your business or your clients before spreading yourself too thin, ready to get started, here is a list of some of the top-rated travel industry consortia to help ease your search. there is no "right answer" when it comes to choosing a consortium, it has to make the most sense to you and your business model. we recommend checking out each consortium to find the one that is best suited to your needs some may include additional technologies, some include marketing initiatives, and some are even invite-only. for reviews of each consortium, be sure to check out: www.hostagencyreviews.com www.findahosttravelagency.com.

Ensemble Travel Group

Signature Travel Network

TRAVELSAVERS

Travel Leaders Network

Traveller Made

*Please note that TARC does not endorse or recommend any specific travel related resources. Each agency, advisor, supplier, and/or user must do their own research and make a decision to access/purchase resources based on their own findings. All sales are final. TARC does not own or manage many of the resources provided on our site, so please look into them before signing up or purchasing them. Keep in mind that you are accessing and using these resources at your own risk.

Consortia (plural for consortium) are associations or groups of companies that engage in common activities to achieve joint objectives. They can be from the educational field, nonprofit, commercial, etc. Sometimes, governments can also be parts of consortia.

Companies that form a consortium combine their resources (financial, expert, or others) so that they complement and enhance each other. Except for the mutual project, entities that form a consortium remain independent and maintain their own business activities and obligations.

In the travel industry , a consortium refers to a mutually beneficial cooperation of host agencies , travel agencies , travel advisors, or other industry players who share expertise and support each other in the field of marketing, technologies, training, supplier negotiations, etc. Some examples of travel consortia are Virtuoso, Travel Leaders Network, Signature Travel Network, etc.

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Define Consortium

consortium. A group of companies that enter into a voluntary association to share resources in order to gain a market advantage. In travel, usually used to refer to groups of suppliers that offer higher commissions and other incentives to travel agencies that enter into " preferred supplier " relationships with them.

To find the abbreviation, acronym, or term you’re looking for, use the Search box (below) or click on any letter (above).

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Consortiums: Meaning, Types, and Examples

Consortium Meaning

A consortium of companies refers to a group of two or more companies or organizations that come together to achieve a common goal or project. Typically, the companies in a consortium have complementary skills and expertise and collaborate to share resources, knowledge, and risks in pursuit of a specific objective.

Consortiums are often formed for large-scale projects that require significant investment or expertise beyond the capabilities of any one company. For example, a consortium of companies might be formed to build a large infrastructure project, such as a highway or bridge. The companies involved in the consortium would pool their resources, share their knowledge and expertise, and work together to complete the project.

Consortiums can take many forms and structures, ranging from formal legal entities with a specific governance structure to more informal company arrangements. Sometimes, a consortium may be temporary, formed to complete a particular project, while in other cases, it may be a long-term partnership between companies.

Types of consortiums

Joint venture consortium:.

A joint venture consortium is a type of business arrangement in which two or more companies or organizations come together to form a single entity to pursue a specific project or business opportunity. In a joint venture consortium, each member contributes resources, expertise, and capital to the venture, and they share in the risks and rewards of the enterprise.

Joint venture consortiums are often used for large and complex projects, such as infrastructure construction, exploration of natural resources, or development of new technology. They can also be used to enter new markets or gain access to resources that would otherwise be difficult or expensive.

In a joint venture consortium, the members may agree to share profits and losses according to their contributions or some other agreed-upon formula. They may also decide on a specific governance structure, with a designated leader or management team overseeing the venture’s operations.

Joint venture consortiums can be formed for a limited period of time until the project or opportunity is completed, or they can be long-term arrangements. The success of a joint venture consortium depends on the ability of the members to work together effectively and manage the risks inherent in the project or opportunity.

Technical consortium :

A technical consortium is a group of companies, organizations, or institutions working collaboratively on research and development projects in a specific technical area. These groups are often formed to pool resources, share knowledge and expertise, and jointly develop new technologies or standards.

Technical consortiums can be found in various fields, such as information technology, telecommunications, aerospace, energy, and healthcare. For example, the Khronos Group is a technical consortium focused on developing open computer graphics and parallel computing standards. At the same time, the Global Wind Energy Council is a technical consortium that promotes the adoption and use of wind power worldwide.

Membership in a technical consortium is often open to companies, academic institutions, and research organizations with relevant expertise or interest in the consortium’s focus area. Consortiums typically have governance structures that allow members to participate in decision-making and guide the direction of research and development activities.

The outcomes of consortium research projects are often shared among members and may be used to inform industry standards, product development, and policy decisions.

Financial consortium:

A financial consortium is a group of financial institutions or investors who jointly come together to finance a large project or transaction. The consortium members pool their financial resources and expertise to provide the necessary capital and support for the project.

Financial consortiums are often formed to fund large-scale infrastructure projects, such as the construction of airports, highways, or power plants. They may also be used to finance mergers and acquisitions or to provide capital for new businesses.

The benefits of a financial consortium include the ability to spread risk among multiple investors and access a wider range of financial resources and expertise. However, consortium members must also coordinate closely and manage their investments carefully to ensure the project’s success.

Examples of financial consortiums include the group of banks that financed the construction of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai and the consortium that provided funding for the London Olympics in 2012.

Marketing consortium :

A marketing consortium is a group of companies or organizations that pool their marketing resources and expertise. A marketing consortium aims to create a more effective and efficient marketing campaign by leveraging the strengths of each member organization.

In a marketing consortium, companies may share marketing research, data, and insights to understand the market and target audience better. They may also collaborate on developing marketing strategies, messaging, and creative materials such as advertisements, social media content, and email campaigns.

By working together, the members of a marketing consortium can achieve better results than they would individually while reducing costs and maximizing their marketing budgets.

Marketing consortia can take many forms, ranging from formal partnerships with shared ownership and governance structures to looser networks of independent companies collaborating on specific marketing initiatives. They may be industry-specific, focused on a particular geographic region or market segment, or have a broader scope encompassing multiple industries and markets.

Procurement consortium :

A procurement consortium comprises organizations that collectively purchase goods or services to achieve economies of scale, reduce costs, and increase bargaining power. These organizations may be from the same industry or sector, or they may be from different industries that have similar purchasing needs.

The consortium is typically managed by a central organization or entity coordinating the purchasing activities and negotiating contracts with suppliers on behalf of the member organizations. The central organization may also provide other services such as vendor management, contract management, and logistics management.

By joining a procurement consortium, member organizations can leverage the combined purchasing power of the group to secure better prices and terms from suppliers. This can be particularly beneficial for smaller organizations that may not have the same bargaining power as larger ones.

Procurement consortia are commonly used in healthcare, education, and government industries, where multiple organizations have similar purchasing needs. They can also be used in other industries where organizations can benefit from pooling their resources to purchase goods and services more efficiently.

Infrastructure consortium :

An infrastructure consortium comprises companies, organizations, or investors who fund and develop large infrastructure projects. These projects may include the construction of highways, airports, seaports, power plants, water treatment plants, and other critical infrastructure.

Infrastructure consortiums often pool their resources and expertise to finance and manage these projects, as they require large amounts of capital and specialized skills. They may also work with government agencies or other stakeholders to ensure that the projects meet regulatory requirements and are aligned with public policy goals.

The consortium members may contribute funds or expertise in engineering, construction, operations, or finance. They may also share risks and rewards associated with the project, depending on the terms of the agreement.

Infrastructure consortiums are becoming increasingly popular as governments worldwide seek ways to attract private investment to support infrastructure development. By working together, consortiums can take on large and complex projects that might be too risky or expensive for any one company to undertake alone.

Research and development consortium :

A research and development consortium is a collaborative network of organizations that pool their resources, expertise, and knowledge towards a shared research and development (R&D) goal. The consortium comprises companies, universities, government agencies, and other research institutions.

The goal of an R&D consortium is typically to solve a complex problem or develop a new technology that would be difficult or impossible for any one organization to achieve on its own. By working together, consortium members can share the costs and risks of R&D projects, leverage each other’s expertise and resources, and accelerate innovation.

One common type of R&D consortium is a pre-competitive consortium, which focuses on fundamental research that benefits all members equally without giving any one member a competitive advantage. These consortia are often used in industries with high research costs and long development timelines, such as the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and semiconductor industries.

Another type of R&D consortium is product-focused, typically formed around a specific technology or product. Members of a product-focused consortium collaborate to develop a new product or technology to commercialize it and share the profits.

Overall, R&D consortia can be a powerful way for organizations to collaborate on complex projects, leverage each other’s strengths, and accelerate innovation.

Examples of successful consortiums

• Star Alliance: A consortium of major airlines such as United Airlines, Lufthansa, Air Canada, and others. The alliance enables members to share flights, airport lounges, and frequent flyer programs, offering customers a seamless travel experience.
• OpenAI: A non-profit research organization that aims to promote and develop friendly artificial intelligence. It is a consortium of some of the world’s most prominent technology companies, including Microsoft, Google, IBM, Amazon, and individual researchers.
• Conexus Baltic Grid: A consortium of energy companies from the Baltic region working together to create a unified energy market in the region. The project aims to improve energy security, reduce dependence on imported energy, and increase renewable energy usage.
• Secure Open Federated Identity (SOFI) consortium: A consortium of companies that work together to develop open-source identity and access management technologies. The consortium includes Google, Cisco, Red Hat, and other major tech companies.
• Consortium for Advanced Simulation of Light Water Reactors (CASL): A consortium of government agencies, universities, and private companies that work together to develop advanced nuclear reactor simulation technology. The consortium includes Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Westinghouse Electric Company, and others.
• The 3G Partnership Project (3GPP): A consortium of telecommunications standards organizations that develop standards for mobile networks. The consortium includes industry leaders such as Ericsson, Nokia, and Qualcomm.
• Global Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Institute: A consortium of governments, private companies, and research institutions working together to develop and promote CCS technology. The consortium includes BP, Chevron, and other major energy companies.
• European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN): A consortium of European countries that work together to operate the world’s largest particle physics laboratory. CERN is responsible for many groundbreaking discoveries in the field of particle physics, including the discovery of the Higgs boson.

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Why a New Conservative Brain Trust Is Resettling Across America

Pro-Trump professionals aren’t just talking about remaking Western civilization. Some are uprooting their lives to show that they mean it.

Fed up by what they see as an increasingly hostile and disordered secular culture, some Christian conservatives are moving to what they view as more welcoming states, regions and communities. Credit... Margaret Albaugh for The New York Times

Supported by

By Ruth Graham

Ruth Graham, who covers religion for The Times, reported from Dallas and Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.

• July 4, 2024 Updated 3:25 p.m. ET

The Claremont Institute has been located in Southern California since its founding in the late 1970s. From its perch in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, it has become a leading intellectual center of the pro-Trump right .

Without fanfare, however, some of Claremont’s key figures have been leaving California to find ideologically friendlier climes. Ryan P. Williams, the think tank’s president, moved to a suburb in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in early April.

His friend and Claremont colleague Michael Anton — a California native who played a major role in 2016 to convince conservative intellectuals to vote for Mr. Trump — moved to the Dallas area two years ago. The institute’s vice president for operations and administration has moved there, too. Others are following. Mr. Williams opened a small office in another Dallas-Fort Worth suburb in May, and said he expects to shrink Claremont’s California headquarters.

“A lot of us share a sense that Christendom is unraveling,” said Skyler Kressin, 38, who is friendly with the Claremont leaders and shares many of their concerns. He left Southern California to move to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, in 2020. “We need to be engaged, we need to be building.”

As Mr. Trump barrels through his third presidential campaign, his supporters buoyed by last week’s debate, many of the young activists and thinkers who have risen under his influence see themselves as part of a project that goes far beyond electoral politics. Rather, it is a movement to reclaim the values of Western civilization as they see it. Their ambitions paint a picture of the country they want should Mr. Trump return to the White House — one driven by their version of Christian values, with larger families and fewer immigrants. They foresee an aesthetic landscape to match, with more classical architecture and a revived conservative art movement and men wearing traditional suits.

Their vision includes stronger local leadership and a withered national “administrative state,” prompting them to celebrate last week when the Supreme Court effectively ended the “Chevron deference,” which could lead to the weakening of thousands of federal rules on the environment, worker protection and beyond.

Fed up by what they see as an increasingly hostile and disordered secular culture, many are moving to what they view as more welcoming states and regions, battling for American society from conservative “ fortresses .”

Some see themselves as participants in and advocates for a “great sort,” a societal reordering in which conservatives and liberals naturally divide into more homogenous communities and areas. (And some, including Mr. Kressin, are simultaneously chasing the cheaper costs of living and safer neighborhoods that fuel many ordinary moves.)

The year Mr. Kressin moved to Idaho, he and Mr. Williams were part of an informal conversation at Claremont about the need for new institutions in what some hope will be a rejuvenated American society. The idea was a “fraternal community,” as one leader put it, that prioritized in-person meetings. The result was the all-male Society for American Civic Renewal, an invitation-only social organization reserved for Christians. The group has about 10 lodges in various states of development so far, with membership ranging between seven and several dozen people.

The group’s goals, according to leaders, include identifying “local elites” across the country and cultivating “potential appointees and hires for an aligned future regime” — by which they mean a second Trump presidency, but also a future they describe in sweeping and sometimes apocalyptic terms. Some warn of a coming societal breakdown that will require armed, right-minded citizens to restore order.

The group’s ties to Claremont give it access to influence in a future Trump administration: Mr. Anton served on Mr. Trump’s National Security Council, and a Claremont board member, John Eastman, advised Mr. Trump’s 2020 election campaign. He faces criminal charges in Arizona and Georgia over schemes to keep Mr. Trump in power after he lost that race.

Their rhetoric can sound expansive to the point of opacity. “As the great men of the West bequeathed their deeds to us, so must we leave a legacy for our children,” the group’s website proclaims. “The works raised by our hands to this end will last long after we are buried.”

Their output, so far, looks more modest. Mr. Kressin’s home chapter has hosted an expert in menswear, who exhorted members to dress in a “classical American style,” and a screening and discussion of the 2003 naval adventure film “Master and Commander.” The men socialize outside of meetings and pass each other business.

The circle’s critics say they present a cleaned-up version of some of the darkest elements of the right, including a cultural homogeneity to the point of racism and an openness to using violence to achieve political ends.

“It’s this idea of organizing discontent at the local level and building a network that over the next decade or three decades or even half-century would just keep moving the Republican Party further and further rightward, and mobilizing voters in discontented parts of the country, a lot of them men,” said Damon Linker, a senior lecturer in political science at the University of Pennsylvania, who has written critically of the crowd . “It’s a highbrow version of the militia movement.”

In its first two years, leaders said, SACR received significant funding from Charles Haywood, a former business owner in Indiana. Mr. Haywood seems to delight in being an online provocateur. He has called the riot on Jan. 6, 2021, an “electoral justice protest” and praised the racist 1973 novel “The Camp of the Saints.”

Posting on the platform X last month, he wrote that foreign-born citizens should be deported for offenses including “working for Left causes.” Other leaders attribute the apocalyptic tone of the group’s founding documents to Mr. Haywood, who declined to comment.

Members of the society are young, mostly white-collar (and mostly white), and often wealthy. Some have left elite institutions to start their own firms and invest in conservative-leaning ventures.

Josh Abbotoy, the executive director of American Reformer, a Dallas-based journal that serves as an informal in-house publication for the movement, is moving to a small town outside Nashville this week with his wife and four children. Through his new professional network, he is raising funds to develop a corridor of conservative havens between Middle Tennessee and Western Kentucky, where he has also purchased hundreds of acres of property. He expects about 50 families to move to the Tennessee town — which he declined to identify — in the next year, including people who work from home for tech companies and other corporations.

Mr. Abbotoy is betting big on the revitalization of the rural South more broadly, as white-collar flexibility meets conservative disillusionment with liberal institutions and cities. He sees the Tennessee project as a “playbook” for future developments in which neighbors share conservative social values and enjoy, he suggested, a kind of ambient Christian culture.

“I personally would happily pay high H.O.A. fees to be in a neighborhood where I have to drive by an architecturally significant church every day, and I can hear church bells,” he said.

The Obergefell v. Hodges decision, which legalized same-sex marriage nationally, was a watershed moment for Mr. Abbotoy and other conservatives’ understanding of how quickly the ground could shift under their feet. It is a decision that signaled to them the onset of an era that the conservative Christian writer Aaron Renn — who has spoken at the fraternal society’s events — calls “negative world,” an influential concept that describes a culture in which “being known as a Christian is a social negative, particularly in the elite domains of ­society.”

Mr. Abbotoy was raised in an evangelical culture that encouraged conservative Christians to go out into “the world” and influence secular institutions, including corporations and universities. But that approach, which defined the last several generations of mainstream evangelicalism, feels increasingly untenable to people in his circle.

Mr. Abbotoy, who graduated from Harvard Law School, left a job with a major infrastructure company in 2021 and came to work for Nate Fischer, a Dallas venture capitalist and prolific networker whose firm invests in conservative projects and opposes “DEI/ESG and the bureaucratization of American business culture.” Mr. Fischer is the president of SACR’s Dallas chapter.

Andrew Beck, a brand consultant for conservative politicians and entities including SACR and Claremont, moved with his wife and their now six children, along with his parents and five of his siblings and their families, from Staten Island to suburbs north of Dallas in 2020. Almost 30 members of the family now live in the same area, just as they did in New York.

“Something is shifting that’s tectonic,” said Mr. Beck, who wrote a widely shared essay on “ re-Christianizing America ” for Claremont’s online magazine the American Mind . “It’s not so much about staking out some stronghold where you can live in a cocoon, it’s to be a part of a place you can truly consider to be home.”

Members must be male, belong to a “Trinitarian Christian” church, a broad category that includes Catholics and Protestants, but not members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Members must also describe themselves as “unhyphenated Americans,” a reference to Theodore Roosevelt’s speech urging the full assimilation of immigrants.

The group’s interdenominational membership reflects the fact that in the Trump era, conservative Christianity is increasingly becoming a cultural and political identity , with theological differences falling to the wayside and Christianity serving as a kind of generic expression of rebellion against modernity. A significant minority of members are Catholic, including Mr. Kressin. The group also includes Presbyterians, Baptists and charismatics.

In Mr. Kressin’s new hometown in Idaho, the streets are clean and people leave their doors unlocked. His family lives in a house they can afford to own, with a white picket fence and room for a trampoline in the yard. In the cozy living room, an upright piano stands in the corner, and hymnals and classic novels line shelves on the wall.

“Many in our generation are very, very much longing for rootedness,” he said. “And they were raised in an era where that was really not valued very much.”

On a weekday morning this spring, he took a brisk morning stroll out his front door and up Tubbs Hill, with wildflowers sprinkled along the path and soaring views of the crystalline lake below. At his house afterward, Lauren Kressin, who was pregnant with the couple’s eighth child, served peach tea in tastefully mismatched china, quietly switching cups with him so he would have the “less feminine” one, she said with a smile.

Starting over in Idaho, Mr. Kressin said later, was part of a project so long term that he does not expect to see its conclusion. “The old landed aristocracy in England would plant oak trees that would only really mature in 400 years,” he said. “Who knows what the future holds, but if you don’t even start building a family culture, you’re doomed to fail.”

Ruth Graham is a national reporter, based in Dallas, covering religion, faith and values for The Times. More about Ruth Graham

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