Breton Travel acquires Travel By Gagnon

Two long-time Grand Rapids-area travel agencies have merged to bring together decades of experience among executives and agents as the industry looks to further rebound after the COVID-19 pandemic.

The family-owned Breton Travel finalized its acquisition of Travel by Gagnon on Jan. 1. The deal allows the companies to merge its clientele, relocate to a new space and better serve clients, leadership says. 

Travel by Gagnon was owned and operated since 1986 by JoAnne Verboom, who was searching for someone to assume the company when she retired. 

Breton Travel President John Lovell and Verboom met in the 1990s when he was the Michigan chapter president of the American Society of Travel Agents (now American Society of Travel Advisors). Verboom took over the position at the travel agents group after Lovell, and the pair remained “good friends” since. 

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Verboom and Lovell began planning the acquisition over the past year.

One of the driving factors of the acquisition was the opportunity to upgrade Breton Travel’s office space by moving into Travel by Gagnon’s office space at 4545 Cascade Road SE in Grand Rapids Township. 

Breton Travel’s office, located at 2777 E. Paris Ave. SE in Grand Rapids, is 1,200 square feet and has an outdated feel to it, Lovell said. However, the Travel by Ganon office is 1,400-1,500 square feet with room to grow, and better reflects the upscale international travel services that Breton offers, he said. 

“We’ll hopefully have some opportunities to grow down the road, and it gives us a little bit more room,” Lovell said. 

Travel by Gagnon’s one employee, Peggy Brumley, remains on the team following the acquisition. Breton Travel now has 10 travel advisors and 12 total employees with administrative staff, Lovell said. 

“(Brumley has) been there for 30-plus years. … That’s one of the hardest things to get is good, experienced travel advisors, because it takes so long for them to train and learn, especially when you’re selling the whole world,” Lovell said. 

Lovell also brings deep experience as the second-generation owner of Breton Travel. His parents founded the company in 1973, and Lovell started working for the firm in 1982. The company changed over the years and at one point had two offices. However, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and closed the business for two years, Breton Travel moved into its current branch location. 

Breton Travel focuses on vacation, leisure and luxury travel including international trips, river cruises, safaris and “sun fun” experiences like Mexico or the Caribbean, Lovell said. 

Similarly, Travel by Gagnon was founded in the early 1960s and excelled particularly in luxury travel, Verboom said. 

Verboom said her and Lovell’s approach to business is similar, with a customer-focused approach and committing resources for employees. That made the deal between a good fit. 

“I truly believe that our merger will definitely continue that philosophy,” Verboom said via email.  “Our combined buying power will offer our clients wonderful opportunities with extra savings and unique amenities. While I won’t be in our office as frequently as before I will continue to be available when needed.” 

Terms of the deal were undisclosed. 

Even with economic turmoil and other “chaos in the world,” Lovell said the travel industry and demand remain strong. Breton Travel’s sales have grown back to pre-pandemic levels, and the past two years have brought annual sales growth of 30%, he said.

The pandemic redefined and transformed travel agencies and caused long-term changes. 

However, international travel began to rebound in 2022 after the early pandemic years of 2020-2021.

Over the last five years, the travel agency industry has grown at a compound annual growth rate of 1.1% to $44.4 billion, despite a projected 3.9% decline in 2024, according to IBIS World. 

Additionally, travel agent employment is projected to grow 3% from 2023 to 2033, which is about the average rate for all occupations, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

“We went from travel basically being at a standstill for two and a half years pandemic to kind of an explosion of travel,” Lovell said. “That’s been fantastic, and with the things that we do for our clients, to customize their travel experiences, to make it the right experience for them. … We’ve gone from kind of being closed for two years to some of the best years we’ve ever had.”

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