How Montecito Village Travel Built a Half-Billion-Dollar Travel Business
By betting on advisors, flexibility, and culture, Montecito Village Travel reshaped a traditional host agency into a luxury force.
Photo: Z / Unsplash
What began as a traditional host agency has quietly turned into one of the most influential luxury travel platforms in the industry—without ever trading warmth for scale.
Montecito Village Travel’s rise to a half-billion-dollar business wasn’t powered by splashy acquisitions or overnight hype, but by a series of well-timed bets: on people, on flexibility, and on doing things differently when the rest of the industry hesitated.
The result is a company whose growth story reads less like a straight line and more like a masterclass in reinvention—one that raises the obvious question: how did they build it this way?
Why Betting on Independent Contractors Paid Off
The company’s roots trace back more than five decades. In 1988, Colin Weatherhead, 78, who is still the company’s CEO, joined the business and eventually purchased it in 1996. At the time, the company operated nearly 20 brick-and-mortar agencies and focused heavily on corporate travel.
A few years later, the airline industry introduced commission cuts and caps, a moment that forced many agencies to close their doors. Rather than resist change, leadership made a decisive move: offices were closed, and agents were invited to work from home as independent contractors. That decision became the company’s launching pad, reshaping its business model years before remote work became the norm.
“We were one of the first travel agencies to embrace independent contractors,” Colin Weatherhead told Luxury Travel Report. “I received, initially, a great deal of criticism from many of our competitors, who believed independent contractors were only interested in the travel industry for the travel perks. How wrong were they!”
Investing in Advisors
By the early 2000s, the company had reduced its physical footprint and stabilized its new structure, just in time to face another industry-defining event: Sept. 11, 2001. Despite the shock to global travel, the company reached approximately $25 million in annual sales.
A turning point soon followed. A group of advisors in Phoenix, Arizona, producing roughly $30 million in sales, joined the organization. From there, growth accelerated organically through referrals. Advisor trust became the company’s strongest currency.
“I always wanted to grow the company,” continued Colin. “I felt the best and quickest way was to purchase other agencies. In July 1991, our first purchase was Lompoc Travel Center. Between 1991 to 1996, we purchased eight other local agencies. To date, we have purchased a total of 24 agencies in 28 locations.”
Originally operating as Your Travel Center (YTC), the company expanded through affiliations and acquisitions.
Between 1999 and 2008, the company built a 30-person support team dedicated to advisors’ success. When the next generation joined leadership in 2010, including Colin’s son, Chris, now the company’s chief marketing officer, the focus sharpened further. Preferred partner programs were rebuilt strategically, relationships with cruise lines, hotel groups, and tour operators were strengthened, and a dedicated marketing team was created to help advisors sell more effectively.
By the mid-2010s, leadership recognized that the business had evolved. The company therefore chose to recenter on luxury travel, rebrand under the Montecito name (now known as Montecito Village Travel), and join Virtuoso.
“Being large was never really a goal,” Colin told LTR. “However, being profitable was always an important priority, but secondary to that, taking care of our employees and, later, our independent contractors. Treating everyone fairly and equitably is key to our success.”
Designed for Durability
Today, Montecito Village Travel supports a diverse and balanced business mix: roughly 20–30% air, alongside hotels, cruises, and land travel. This diversification has allowed the company to grow steadily without becoming overly dependent on any single segment.
The host model is built to elevate advisors at every stage. Mid-market advisors are given the tools, technology, and partnerships needed to serve higher-end clients and sell the right products with confidence.
The company works with 600 independent contractors across 10 physical branch locations from California to Nebraska. Selectivity remains intentional; Montecito receives daily inquiries, but does not accept hundreds of new advisors each year. Fit matters.
That philosophy is reflected in the firm’s top-producer recognition programs, collectively known as the President’s Club, which celebrate and reward outstanding performance. The President’s Club recognizes 108 advisors who each generate at least $1 million in sales, including 38 who achieve $2.5 million and 24 who exceed $4 million, highlighting the organization’s commitment to excellence and high achievement across its advisor network.
And, at the end of 2025, the company recently surpassed the half-billion sales milestone.
Built for the Long Game
At 78 years old, the founder remains actively involved, while leadership invests heavily in technology and long-term infrastructure. Montecito Village Travel is not positioning itself for sale; instead, it is building for the next generation.
“We like to say we are large enough to matter, but small enough to care; that is truly who we are as a company,” said Chris.
In an industry defined by constant reinvention, Montecito Village Travel stands out for something quieter but rarer: consistency. Thoughtful growth, deep relationships, and clear values have carried the company through decades of change—and are setting the course for whatever comes next.
