In this week’s round-up: Top Transat agents were feted in France; TTAND held its 10th annual – and first international – conference in Jordan; TRAVELSAVERS mulled ‘blended’ travel; TLN’s new tool for travel advisors (coming soon to Canada) is a SNAP; and Ensemble asked the question, “Tennis, anyone?”
Transat Distribution Canada
TDC recently invited 50 of its top performers from its Transat Travel/ Voyages Transat agencies across the country on a seven-day Bravo Excellence Club reward trip to the South of France.
“I’m delighted to mark the return of our Bravo Excellence Club trips, which have taken an enforced break in recent years,” said TDC general manager Karine Gagnon. “Of course, the main criterion for selecting the people who participated in this trip was exceptional sales results. These women and men have surpassed themselves throughout 2023 and stood out for their performance. And there’s no better way to reward and thank travel enthusiasts than with the very fruit of their passion”.
Participants arrived in Lyon on Air Transat and had the opportunity to discover the city’s great gastronomy, as well as the surrounding region, notably Vienne-Condrieu. On the menu: a visit to the Halles de Paul Bocuse, Croix-Rousse and Fourvières, the Cité du Chocolat and the Guigal vineyards, to name but a few. The group then headed for Marseille, where they had the chance to discover the fish market, the Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilization (MUCEM), and a boat tour of the Calanques, with a stop at prehistoric caves. Everyone also had the chance to discover some of France’s most beautiful villages, including Lourmarin and Gordes, as well as stopping off in Aix-en-Provence.
The highlight of the trip was the recognition evening on the magnificent terrace of the Sport Beach in Marseille.
Trip partners included Marseille Tourism, Leisure and Convention Office, Aéroport Marseille Provence, Only Lyon, the Aix-en-Provence Tourism Office, Destination Luberon Tourism Office, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Tourisme and Jumbo Tours France.
TTAND
Close to 225 The Travel Agent Next Door (TTAND) advisors travelled to Jordan earlier this month for the organization’s 10th annual conference, hosted in partnership with the Jordan Tourism Board, North America, Royal Jordanian Airlines, and G Adventures.
“We are honoured to host TTAND in Jordan. We are excited to show all the TTAND attendees what Jordan has to offer their clients, and introduce them to exceptional Bedouin hospitality,” said Malia Asfour, Managing Director of the JTBNA. “The Canadian market has been a consistent and resilient revenue-generating market for Jordan, and we look forward to welcoming more Canadians as a result.”
TTAND founder and president Flemming Friisdahl, added, “Jordan’s selection as the destination for our 2024 conference underscores our unwavering commitment to showcasing diverse and captivating travel experiences. We are thrilled to celebrate our 10th anniversary in Jordan – our first conference outside of North America – reaffirming our confidence in its tourism potential.”
Taking place June 3-10 at the Dead Sea, Jordan, the conference sold out in a record 47 seconds and featured events in multiple locations including Dead Sea, Petra, and Aqaba.
TRAVELSAVERS
As ‘blended’ travel continues to grow, TRAVELSAVERS’ Affluent Traveler Collection (ATC)
hotel program has recently added 25 properties offering villas and residences into its portfolio to stay ahead of demand for lodging that balances professional and personal needs.
Blended travel, mixing business and leisure, is the next evolution of ‘bleisure,’ which has been increasing over the past 15 years. Today blended travel is a US$594.5-billion market, according to Future Market Insights and expected to grow by 19.5% annually until 2033.
TRAVELSAVERS Canada Sr. VP and GM Jane Clementino, welcomed the new accommodation options, noting, “Because this form of blended travel is growing quickly, our advisors are asking for upscale properties that can toggle between work and leisure needs.”
Among them are The Athenaeum Hotel & Residences in London, the Sunset Marquis Hotel & Villas in West Hollywood, Ca., and Andaz Mexico City Condesa, the latter offering 20 suites with separate living and sleeping areas, in the heart of a sophisticated, artistic neighborhood in the city.
The ATC Portfolio includes 1,100 prioritizes unique, authentic boutique properties in demand by upscale travellers that provide client amenities with an expected value of US$1,000 per stay.
Travel Leaders Network
On July 2, Travel Leaders Network (TLN) will make its innovative, easy-to-use SNAP tool available to Canadian members through Agent Universe. Introduced in the US in April, the graphic interface gives non-GDS users the ability to quickly and efficiently book their clients’ travel while leading them to greater earning opportunities.
Exclusive to TLN, SNAP is powered by Sabre and users of the tool need no specialized knowledge to use SNAP, making it a great option for those new to the industry, or travel advisors who do not wish to use a GDS. With a few clicks, travel advisors can prepare options for their clients with air, car and hotel.
“SNAP is sophistication wrapped in simplicity,” said Seth Burton, VP at Internova Travel Group, TLN’s parent company. “With SNAP, travel advisors of all experience and skill levels have the chance to impress their clients and increase their earnings, providing TLN members with a truly competitive advantage.”
Over 300 agencies and 3,000 advisors are currently live on SNAP and over $1 million in volume has been generated through SNAP with an average commission of US$185 per air booking. SNAP also prioritizes properties in TLN’s portfolio of hotel partners through the SELECT, CURATED and Worldwide hotel programs.
The SNAP team continues to innovate and refine the tool, including adding support for traveller profiles. Advisors will be able to build and store profiles, which will eliminate the need to type in passenger details for a repeat traveller. Also coming soon is a redesigned checkout page and agent dashboard.
In Canada, the tool will initially be available for hotel and car rental bookings, with air capabilities to come in the future.
John Bullard, owner of Magical Enchanted Vacations, a Travel Leaders Network agency owner, recently signed his 400 ICs up for SNAP. “Many of our advisors, especially those who are younger or new to the industry, don’t use a GDS. SNAP gives them the power of a GDS but makes it as easy to use as any consumer booking website.”
Ensemble
Ensemble recently celebrated its top performers with an unique experience at Roland Garros, highlighting its commitment to creating unique and memorable programs. The event marked the launch of ‘Ensemble Beyond: Elevated Experiences,’ a newly reimagined initiative to recognize excellence among Ensemble’s top members.
From June 7-10, Ensemble’s elite owners and advisors were whisked away to Paris for a trip that included exclusive access to the French Open at Roland Garros. During their time in Paris, attendees experienced VIP access to the Women’s Final and Men’s Doubles Final, complete with private salon privileges. The itinerary also included a series of culinary experiences, including Michelin starred restaurants, alongside opportunities to explore the city’s well-known cultural landmarks and access to some of the city’s most exclusive hot spots.
Members chose from a selection of activities, including a visit to a luxury shopping village and a cooking class celebrating the art and secrets of French cuisine. There were also ample opportunities for networking with key partners, including AmaWaterways, Uniworld, Explora, Crystal, Regent, Carnival, Atlas Cruises, Collette, Bedsonline, Manulife, Delta, WestJet and others, fostering valuable connections and collaborations.
“We were thrilled to launch Ensemble Beyond: Elevated Experiences with this remarkable event at Roland Garros,” said Michael Johnson, President of Ensemble. “This concept is not only reflects our commitment to recognizing and rewarding excellence in extraordinary ways but is setting a new industry standard.”