There are moments in the travel trade when a number says more than a thousand press releases. For CT Partners, that number is 34, a new membership milestone that signals the independent buying group is enjoying a run of quiet but unmistakable momentum.
The latest addition is Locale Travel, which will officially join the network from 1 March. The move underscores growing confidence among entrepreneurial travel businesses seeking an alternative to traditional affiliations, one grounded in transparency and collaboration rather than corporate theatre.
Locale Travel’s decision comes at a time of reflection and reinvention for the brand. As Commercial and Finance Manager Meg Dolan explains, the timing is deliberate.
“2026 marks a significant milestone for us, as we celebrate 10 years of Locale,” Dolan said. “As part of its next phase of strategic growth, Locale Travel will transition to Gullivers Corporate, aligning its brand with sister company Gullivers, a leading specialist in sports, event and group travel.
“In that context, it felt both timely and logical to align with CT Partners as our chosen affiliation for the years ahead, one that will support our continued evolution and carry us confidently into the next phase of growth.”
It is a neat alignment. Locale’s shift towards the Gullivers Corporate identity reflects a broader industry trend: consolidation with purpose. In a market still recalibrating post-pandemic, scale matters, but so too does flexibility. Independent agencies are increasingly seeking buying groups that offer muscle without micromanagement.
For CT Partners CEO Matt Masson, the milestone is both validation and a signal of intent.
“Reaching 34 members is a significant milestone for CT Partners, and we are incredibly proud that another business of Locale Travel’s calibre has recognised the value of our unique and fully transparent model,” Masson said. “As a not-for-profit, our purpose is singular: to grow our members’ businesses, not our own.
“One of the greatest strengths of CT Partners is the calibre of our membership and the willingness of members to share insight, experience and expertise.
“When strong independent businesses come together in a collaborative environment, the whole network becomes more resilient and more competitive.”
Those words will resonate with agency owners who remember when independence meant isolation. The modern reality is rather different. Today’s independents are fiercely entrepreneurial but pragmatically collaborative, happy to share knowledge if it sharpens their competitive edge.
Locale’s integration of Gulliver’s Sports business adds another dimension. Sports and event travel, once considered a niche, has become a reliable growth engine as live experiences roar back. Aligning with a buying group that champions agility may prove a shrewd strategic play.
For CT Partners, meanwhile, the addition is less about numbers than narrative. Each new member reinforces the group’s positioning as a member-first collective in an era when many travel businesses are reassessing legacy relationships.
In a trade that thrives on partnerships, milestones matter. Thirty-four members may not make front-page headlines outside the industry, but within travel circles, it speaks volumes: confidence is returning, independents are evolving, and collaborative models, when done properly, are finding their moment.
by Christine Nguyen – (c) 2026.
Read Time: 2 minutes.
About the Writer.
Christine’s story is one of quiet courage, told without fuss and lived with remarkable grace. She arrived in Australia as a young refugee from Vietnam, carrying little more than hope, family, and a curiosity that refused to be extinguished. Sydney became home, built patiently, brick by careful brick.
She studied Tourism at TAFE and soon found her place in inbound travel, working with one of the city’s leading destination companies. Christine loved showing visitors the Australia that lives beyond postcards, warmer, truer, and far more interesting.
When the sea began to whisper, and life asked for a gentler rhythm, she listened. Designing brochures, writing blogs, she discovered storytelling waiting quietly inside her.
Today, at Global Travel Media, Christine writes with warmth and wisdom, reminding us, softly and persuasively, why travel still matters.
