In this week’s look at the world of retail travel, Transat was on the road to amazing Marrakesh, hosting an advisor FAM; Ensemble has launched a hotel-cruise amenity program for clients; award-winning Travel Masters, TRAVELSAVERS Canada celebrates new tech and new affiliates; and F1S has welcomed a new exec.

Transat

Transat recently welcomed 19 specially chosen Canadian travel advisors on a journey through Morocco. Travelling with Air Transat, the immersive FAM provided a chance to dive deep into Morocco’s rich culture and history while experiencing its stunning scenery firsthand.

“This trip was a testament the exceptional quality of our product, by collaborating with our hand-picked local partners. Thanks to their unique insight, we were able to offer participants an exciting opportunity to truly explore Morocco,” said Dima Fahed, Transat’s account manager for the greater Toronto Area.

She continued: “Travel agents are now armed with knowledge that will appeal to their more adventurous clients looking for something meaningful. As you know, our profession is all about creating those unforgettable moments and encouraging travellers to step out of their comfort zones for a deeper, more enriching experience, and I believe Morocco is a great place to do that.”

The itinerary featured some of the most famous destinations in Morocco, such as the souks and palm groves of Marrakesh and the fortified village of Aït Benhaddou, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as well as immersive cultural experience filled with history, crafts and traditional Moroccan hospitality, thanks to local partner Jumbo Tours.

“Morocco was an absolute dream come true with amazing and unforgettable moments. This was truly a fam trip done with class. I’m so grateful to have experienced such a unique adventure and will be recommending the highlights to future clients,” commented Gisella Alvaro at PG Travel.

Alex Jorgenson, travel consultant at Murdoch Travel, added, “We had the most amazing tour guides; everyone was so knowledgeable and always prepared for any of the millions of questions we might have had. Getting to see and learn so much about the people and country of Morocco in our one-week stay worked incredibly well. Everything was expertly planned.”

Ensemble

Ensemble has announced the launch of its Hotel Cruise Amenity Program, a first-of-its-kind offering that provides exclusive hotel benefits alongside private port transfers for clients embarking on cruise vacations. The new program, available to Ensemble members, represents a significant enhancement to the overall travel experience, delivering superior value for both advisors and their clients, says the organization.

The program, currently in its pilot phase, is being launched in key cruise hubs – Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Seattle, and Vancouver – with plans to expand to additional cities in the near future. Through this initiative, Ensemble members can offer their clients not only luxury hotel amenities such as room upgrades, breakfast, early check-in, and late check-out, but also private transfers to their cruise port, a service that simplifies the travel experience and ensures seamless journeys.

“We are incredibly proud to be leading the way with this innovative program,” said Beth Butzlaff, Sr. VP of Partner Relations at Ensemble. “At Ensemble, we’re always looking for ways to enhance the value our members can provide to their clients… It’s a game-changer for travel advisors looking to differentiate their services in a competitive market, and it underscores Ensemble’s commitment to providing best-in-class experiences.”

Travel Masters

Travel Masters was honoured with the Outstanding Contribution to the Travel Community Award at the Ensemble Horizons event, recently held in Las Vegas (photo) recognizing the organization’s dedication to making a lasting and transformative impact on the travel industry, especially through advocacy, mentorship, and leadership.

The award celebrates those who have gone above and beyond in promoting the travel sector, driving positive change, and providing unwavering support for their fellow professionals. Travel Masters, through the leadership of Mark Greenwood, Director of Operations, and David Lyons Black, a passionate advocate for accessible and barrier-free travel, has continually championed these values.

TRAVELSAVERS Canada

TRAVELSAVERS Canada reports it is introducing new customized technology and enhancing other technological offerings, including a customized AI solution, a new Softvoyage feature, and marketing initiatives to continue driving sales growth for its affiliated advisors:

• AI Connect will help advisors develop polished marketing content while saving precious time. With the program, advisors can access exclusive preferred partner offers for the US or Canada and generate social media captions, blog posts and landing pages. AI Connect also integrates with Canva to build graphics using royalty-free images, all while learning the unique tone and style of the advisor’s brand.
• The introduction of Softvoyage’s user-friendly dashboard will help members easily create and market custom group trips and packages. Softvoyage generates a unique code for use in marketing materials, allowing consumers to click directly into its booking engine. This enhancement drives website traffic and improves search engine visibility, helping advisors stand out in a competitive market.
• TRAVELSAVERS’ tripXpress booking platform boasts several new enhancements to improve performance and open additional inventory to advisors, including the ability to pull live information into passive bookings for real-time updates; 26 cruises lines, with many providing direct connects to real time inventory access and live ship assets, and more.
• Marketing programs to reach both travel advisors and consumers have expanded their reach in 2024 to 5.6 million emails sent to consumers, up 47%, and 12,000 leads sent to advisors

Meanwhile, TRAVELSAVERS Canada reports that it has welcomed 23 new affiliates this year, contributing to a $45-million increase in preferred partner sales. This expansion represents an 8% growth in the number of TRAVELSAVERS Canada agencies. Also joining were over 100 Independent Contractors over the past eight months.

F1S

Andrew Jones has officially joined First in Service as Director of Partnerships, Leisure,. With over 20 years of experience in the travel industry across North America, UK, and Australia, Jones will report directly to Gina Gabbard, Chief Strategy Officer at First in Service.

In his new position, Jones will focus on expanding the leisure business by supporting F1S advisors, growing the agency’s leisure partnerships globally, including the cruise sector, and working with Virtuoso.

Most recently, he served as Director of Travel Partner Relations at Ensemble Travel and prior to that that 20 years at Flight Centre Travel Group in both North America and Australia.

If you enjoyed or found this story useful, we’d appreciate if you would forward it to a colleague or friend who may also enjoy it. If, on the other hand, a friend shared it with you, welcome! You can get all the latest travel news and reviews from Travel Industry by simply clicking HERE.