MTA – Mobile Travel Agents is celebrating a quarter century milestone in 2025 of support and commitment to independent travel advisors.
Founded in 2000 by Karen and Roy Merricks, MTA was built on a vision: to create a network that empowered travel advisors—primarily women—to run their own businesses while maintaining the flexibility to raise a family. What began as a bold vision has grown into a leading network of Australia’s most successful independent travel advisors.
To commemorate this special occasion, MTA invited its very first advisor, Ken Tuppen, along with his wife Di, to Head Office to celebrate alongside the team. Still an MTA Advisor to this day, Tuppen embodies the longevity and success that the company has enjoyed over the years.
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Reflecting on 25 years in business, MTA Co-Founder Karen Merricks said: “Twenty-five years ago, when we started MTA, we wanted to create something truly different – an opportunity for travel advisors to thrive on their own terms, without being tied to a traditional agency model and without sacrificing work-life balance. To see MTA go from strength to strength, with so many long-standing and successful advisors, is truly rewarding.”
True to its family related ethos, the legacy of MTA remains a family affair, with Karen and Roy’s children, Ben and Sara, involved from the beginning continuing to play active roles in the business.
“MTA – Mobile Travel Agents was a controversial idea at the time, but as soon as we launched, we knew it was going to succeed,” says Karen. While some initially dismissed MTA agents as hobbyists, a significant number of its advisors are earning well into the six figures, with some reaching even greater heights. Not bad for a so-called side hustle.
MTA says it continues to look to the future, remaining committed to evolving with the ever-changing travel landscape while staying true to its founding principle – empowering travel advisors to run their own businesses their way.
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