5Continents officially began operations in 2017, but according to founding president David Boigne, “the company’s history began long before that.”
With a focus on team relationships and experiences, 5Continents aims to be a one-stop shop for travel agents looking to create vacation itineraries for both group and individual travelers. We spoke to the founder of
“When I arrived in Quebec in 1994, I worked for 10 years in an inbound hotel under Marie Côté’s stewardship, and then as general manager of a specialty travel agency belonging to the Intea Group. Jose Leroux allowed me to become a shareholder in Intel Group. The company was then sold to Thomas Cook and then to Travel Brands, where I served as vice president of specialty brands for several years. In 2017, I finally decided to build a new business that aligned with my vision.”
David remembers the outpouring of solidarity from the industry when he announced his retirement, but in reality, it was a new beginning. “When I told our customers and suppliers that I was leaving, they said, no, no, we have projects for the next few years and we need you to help us. So I created something more like a travel agency. Again, these are the people who are supporting this new part of my journey: Michelle Landry, Uma Soumya, Lydia Voscariol, and Dylan Lal. It has guided me throughout my journey and you can see why relationships are the foundation of everything for me.”
5Continents is pleased to announce that Le Boat has joined its portfolio. (Photo credit: Photo: 5 Continents)
A logical development
5Continents was initially intended to secure a Canadian presence for certain international suppliers for the Group, but as demand continued to grow, the team and service offering was strengthened. The company has contracts with multiple travel agency networks.
During the pandemic, the company, a relatively young company, grew very (perhaps too much?) quickly. Therefore, the pandemic interruption would have left 5Continents better able to stop and start better on a firmer footing.
“Honestly, I was worried that the company was growing too fast to maintain the model we had. We wanted to protect and develop all of our agent commissions during the pandemic. The pandemic forged lasting relationships and strengthened our business model, as we worked hard on specific projects that we had in mind. We came out of the pandemic with an even stronger structure,” said David. he explains.
As a result, 5Continents has increased its revenue five times in 2023 and now has 16 employees.
“Before the pandemic, we were building houses on stilts as we faced significant growth, but after the pandemic we started building houses with solid foundations. I would really like to say that we have one of the oldest teams in the industry.” We are all experienced professionals and today 5Continents is a boutique-style company where technology is not the most important, but relationships are the priority. Tour operator. ”
According to Davig Boigne, we overestimate technology’s contribution to business and underestimate relationships, yet they are key to this industry.
5Continents sells 95% of its products a la carte and works with travel agents and travel agents who want to sell to their customers. The company has contracts with most of its suppliers, but recently added Aurora Expeditions and CroisiEurope has given them representation rights in English Canada.
“We have a lot of exciting news coming,” Boigne concluded. “Many announcements are in the works. Thanks again to all the travel agents! I pinch myself every time I see a booking confirmation email arrive. We have a choice, but I know we do a good job and are very dedicated. For us, it’s the human side of the business that makes the difference.”
“Our company culture is a top priority for me and I am extremely proud of it,” he concluded.