BREMERTON, WA – As the travel industry continues to evolve, Dugan's Travels is making strategic investments in its support structure, educational offerings, technology, and supplier relationships to better serve its independent travel advisors. The host agency, founded in 1997 by Jennifer Dugan, is focusing on improvement rather than mere expansion, aiming to provide meaningful support that helps advisors build successful businesses.
“We've never wanted growth just for the sake of being bigger,” said Jennifer Dugan, owner of Dugan's Travels. “We want to be better. That means continually looking at what our advisors need, what our team does well, and where we can make improvements that provide meaningful support.” One of the key areas of focus is strengthening the team behind the advisors. The agency is refining responsibilities across its support staff, including Christina, Shari, Tracy, Joleen, Cecily, Barb, and Jennifer, to ensure that each person's strengths are utilized effectively. This includes areas such as advisor education, new-agent support, supplier relationships, events, Five Star advisor development, webinars, peer-to-peer learning, internal processes, and everyday advisor support.
“We have talented people with very different strengths,” Dugan said. “Part of my responsibility as a leader is recognizing those strengths and figuring out where each person can make the biggest difference.” For advisors, these behind-the-scenes improvements are intended to result in clearer communication, stronger educational opportunities, and a more cohesive support team.
Education remains a cornerstone of the Dugan's Travels experience, but the agency is looking beyond simply offering more training. The focus is on creating actionable opportunities for advisors at different stages of their businesses. The webinar program is being strengthened, and the Five Star community will continue to provide advanced learning for established and higher-producing advisors. Additionally, the agency remains committed to helping newer advisors build strong foundations.
Peer-to-peer learning is also gaining importance. Through the “Hear From Our Peers” series, advisors can learn directly from fellow advisors about what is working in their businesses. Upcoming programming includes an advisor sharing how her love and knowledge of Scotland became a specialty, demonstrating how personal interests can translate into business success.
Dugan's University (DU) remains a vital part of the community, bringing together advisors, team members, and supplier partners for education and networking. The agency is planning future DU events with a focus on strengthening relationships and providing practical takeaways.
Technology is another area under review. Dugan's Travels is evaluating CRM options with an eye toward functionality, usability, cost, and the practical needs of independent advisors. “We want technology to solve problems, not create new ones,” Dugan said. The agency is taking a measured approach, testing systems to ensure they genuinely improve the advisor experience.
Supplier relationships continue to be a priority, with the Inner Circle program fostering deeper partnerships that provide education, marketing, events, and business development opportunities. Planning for the next year of Inner Circle partnerships is already underway.
Importantly, Dugan's Travels recognizes that improvement doesn't always mean adding something new. Sometimes it means refining existing processes, clarifying roles, or eliminating unnecessary steps. “We already do a lot,” Dugan said. “Our next chapter isn't about seeing how many more things we can add. It's about looking at everything we're doing and asking: Is this useful? Is it working? Is the right person handling it? And does it ultimately help our advisors?”
As the agency moves into its next chapter, it remains committed to its founding principles of people, relationships, education, and support. “We're going to keep trying things, learning, listening, and adjusting,” Dugan said. “I don't expect every idea to be perfect the first time. What matters is that we're willing to keep looking at ourselves and asking how we can do a better job for our advisors and for the people who support them.”
For Dugan's Travels, the next chapter isn't about becoming the biggest host agency. It's about continuing to build a stronger one, one advisor, one relationship, and one improvement at a time. More information can be found at https://duganstravels.com/.
