MAST Travel Network

What MAST Travel Network does

MAST Travel Network (legal entity MAST Vacation Partners, Inc.) is a member-owned and member-driven travel agency consortium founded in 1969 and headquartered in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois. The company aggregates more than 200 independent travel agencies across the United States and Canada into a single distribution and buying group, providing members with access to a Preferred Supplier Program covering cruise lines (Viking, Celebrity, Princess, Holland America, Oceania, Mayflower), tour operators (Globus), hotels, car rentals, air suppliers, and insurance partners; exclusive commissions and overrides negotiated with these suppliers are largely passed back to member agencies.

The consortium's core commercial products are the membership itself (recurring agency dues), the Preferred Supplier Program (transaction-fee overrides), the consumer-facing Travel Agent Locator search tool, the 360 Travel Talk Blog content platform, and member-facing training and marketing resources delivered through webinars, regional sessions, and social media channels. Its technology stack is described as minimal — a website, a directory/search widget, a WordPress-based blog, and social media accounts — with the underlying value proposition resting on human advisory expertise and supplier relationships rather than proprietary software.

MAST makes money primarily through two streams: recurring membership dues from the 200+ member agencies and a share of supplier commissions/overrides, with the majority of overrides redistributed to members. End consumers are individual travelers seeking personalized vacation, cruise, tour, destination wedding, and group travel services delivered through local member advisors; the company also generates awareness and demand via content marketing and an agent-locator funnel. Operations are run by a small staff of 11-50 employees under President John Werner, with no external private equity, venture capital, or parent company involvement indicated in the source data.

Name

MAST Travel Network

Legal name

MAST Vacation Partners, Inc.

Website

https://mvptravel.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MAST Travel Network is a member-owned travel agency consortium founded in 1969, aggregating 200+ independent agencies across the US and Canada to provide preferred supplier access, training, and marketing resources, serving individual travelers seeking cruise, tour, and vacation planning through local member advisors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Oak Brook

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees / Agency Dues: Member agencies pay dues to belong to the MAST consortium, gaining access to preferred supplier relationships, marketing resources, training programs, and collective buying power.
2. Supplier Commissions and Overrides: MAST negotiates commissions and overrides with preferred travel suppliers including cruise lines, tour operators, hotels, and airlines. These supplier overrides are passed back to member agencies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

MAST Travel Network is a member-owned and member-driven consortium of more than 200 independent travel agencies across the United States and Canada. It sells consortium membership to travel agencies, providing access to preferred supplier agreements (cruise lines, tour operators, hotels, airlines), marketing resources, training programs, networking opportunities, and collective buying power. Supplier commissions and overrides generated through the network are passed back to member agencies.

Product overview

MAST Travel Network is a single, unified consortium platform rather than a modular software product. The core offering is the MAST Travel Network consortium itself—a member-owned network of over 200 independent travel agencies across the US & Canada. The network provides member agencies with access to a Preferred Supplier Program (featuring cruise lines like Globus, Viking, Celebrity Cruises, Princess, and Mayflower; tours; hotels; car rentals; air suppliers), Agent Training & Education resources, and Member Marketing Resources. The Travel Agent Locator/Search Tool serves as the primary consumer-facing interface connecting travelers with member agencies. An associated content platform, 360 Travel Talk Blog, provides travel inspiration and industry content. The consortium is not a software-as-a-service product with APIs; it operates as a business network providing operational support and supplier relationships to member travel agencies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MAST Travel Network Consortium Membership A membership-based consortium of more than 200 independent travel agencies across the United States and Canada, providing member agencies with preferred supplier access, marketing resources, training, networking, and collective buying power.
• Travel Agent Locator Directory An online search directory allowing travelers to find and connect with MAST member travel advisors by zip code, state, travel destination, travel interest, or travel style.
• Preferred Supplier Program Exclusive agreements with select travel suppliers including cruise lines (Globus, Viking, Celebrity, Princess, Mayflower, Holland America, Oceania), tour operators, hotels and resorts, car rentals, air suppliers, insurance providers, and tourist boards, offering member agencies access to discounts, commissions, and educational resources.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Tourism CaresminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMAST Travel Network partners with Tourism Cares, a nonprofit supporting travel industry professionals and sustainable tourism initiatives.
• ASTA (American Society of Travel Advisors)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMAST is affiliated with ASTA, the leading trade association for travel advisors in the United States.
• GlobuscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured supplier partner offering guided tours worldwide. MAST features Globus prominently on their homepage as a featured supplier with touring vacations designed for modern travelers.
• Viking CruisescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured supplier partner - world's leading small ship cruise line offering destination focused and culturally enriching experiences.
• Celebrity CruisescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured supplier partner - premium cruise line offering elevated vacation experiences with intimate ship feel and thoughtful service.
• Mayflower Cruises & TourscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured supplier partner offering guided holidays since 1979, including trips to Grand Canyon, culinary tours of Italy, Rhine river cruises, and Mediterranean yachting experiences.
• Princess CruisescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured supplier partner - Alaska cruise line offering voyages through glaciers, wildlife, and national parks with exclusive rail service and Princess Wilderness Lodges.
• Holland America LinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMAST partners with Holland America Line, specializing in Alaskan cruises with nearly 80 years of experience sailing to Alaska.
• Oceania CruisescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMAST features Oceania Cruises in their MASTers of Travel series, highlighting onboard foodie experiences including private dining at Privee.
• Preferred Suppliers (General Category)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMAST has relationships with select travel suppliers providing quality service, education, discounts, and commissions. Supplier categories include: Cruise Lines, Tours, Vacation Packages, Hotels & Resorts, Car Rentals, Air Suppliers, Specialty Suppliers, Insurance, and Tourist Board Partners.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Nexion Travel Group: Nexion Travel Group is a US host agency network supporting independent travel advisors with supplier relationships, training, and back-office support. It competes with MAST for independent travel advisors seeking consortium-style benefits without owning an agency.
• Virtuoso: Virtuoso is a leading global network of luxury travel advisors with preferred-supplier relationships with cruise lines, hotels, and tour operators. Like MAST, it is a consortium-style network that provides its member agencies with supplier overrides, training, and marketing support.
• Avoya Travel: Avoya Travel operates a network of independent travel advisors with preferred-supplier partnerships, lead-generation, and training programs. It is comparable to MAST as a US-based agency network that monetizes supplier relationships and supports independent travel sellers.
• Ensemble Travel Group: Ensemble Travel Group is a cooperative of independent travel agencies providing members with preferred-supplier relationships, marketing tools, and education. It competes with MAST for the same independent US and Canadian travel agency membership base.
• Travel Leaders Network: Travel Leaders Network is one of the largest travel agency networks in North America, offering member agencies supplier relationships, marketing, and technology resources. It is a direct competitor to MAST in the US/Canada independent agency segment.
• World Travel Holdings: World Travel Holdings is a large travel distribution and agency company operating vacation packages, cruise sales, and membership-based travel clubs. It overlaps with MAST in cruise and packaged-vacation distribution through agent channels.
• Signature Travel Network: Signature Travel Network is a member-owned cooperative of independent travel agencies that negotiates preferred supplier terms with cruise lines, tour operators, and hotels. It is the closest direct cooperative peer to MAST in terms of structure, supplier model, and member-driven governance.

Broad incumbents

• American Express Travel: American Express Travel is a large, broad incumbent offering travel agency services, supplier relationships, and card-member benefits. It overlaps with MAST's consumer travel-booking activity but operates at significantly larger scale and as part of a financial services platform.
• Flight Centre Travel Group: Flight Centre Travel Group is a global travel agency retailer with corporate and leisure brands. It is a broader incumbent that overlaps with MAST's leisure and cruise distribution, though it owns retail storefronts rather than operating as a member consortium.

Emerging players

• Fora Travel: Fora Travel is a newer, digitally native travel advisor platform offering training, supplier relationships, and a tech-forward booking experience. It competes with traditional consortia like MAST for independent advisors, particularly among younger advisors.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/masttravel
• Instagraminstagram.com/masttravel
• Pinterestpinterest.com/masttravel
• Xx.com/mvptravel

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MAST Travel Network