Antigua and Barbuda hosted its inaugural agent achievement gala in the islands; Ensemble is planning to sing the praises of top performers in 2025; and Travel Leaders Network has new Canadian members on its advisory board.
Antigua and Barbuda
The Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Association (ABTA) hosted its inaugural agent achievement gala event, the Antigua and Barbuda Black Pineapple Awards, on Dec. 7. Named after the Antigua black pineapple, a symbol of hospitality and excellence, the awards were launched to honour travel professionals from key source markets – including 25 Canadians – in promoting the twin-island nation.
As of October 2024, arrivals to the destination from Canada were up 13% over the previous year, demonstrating a strong recovery in the post-pandemic years, and the growing appeal of the destination.
“It is an honour and privilege to celebrate travel advisors, who form the backbone of the tourism industry,” stated tourism minister Charles Fernandez. “Their expertise enhances travel experiences and also plays a pivotal role in attracting first-time visitors to Antigua and Barbuda. The advisors that we are honouring have demonstrated excellence in promoting our twin-islands, and the Black Pineapple Awards reflect our appreciation for their dedication and commitment.”
The events featured black-tie gala at the Sandals Grande Antigua Resort and Spa. Additionally, awardees enjoyed a curated itinerary designed to showcase the best of Antigua and Barbuda’s offerings, with hotel stays at Sandals, Royalton, St. James’s Club, The Verandah Resort and Tamarind Hills. Activities include a welcome reception at The Verandah Resort and Spa, a luxury island tour, swimming with the turtles, chocolate-making and a visit to the picturesque Shirley Heights, which forms part of Antigua and Barbuda’s UNESCO World Heritage site.
Canadian honourees included:
- Barbara Scrocco, Travel Only
- Correna Tymchen, Uniglobe Carefree Travel
- Debbie Brown (Director’s Award), Flight Centre
- Janske Seymour, All Ways Travel
- Jennifer Meyer, Uniglobe Carefree Travel
- Karen Katelnikoff (Minister’s Award)
- Kim Hartlen (CEO’s Award), Kim Hartlen Travel
- Lisa Dunne, Treasured Moments Travel
- Lois Barbour, Travel Time
- Melissa Doucet, TTAND
- Olimpia Govorusa, Envoyage
- Sarah Boville, Barefoot Travel
- Shannon Graves, Charrisma Travel
- Shannon Juelich, Trevello
- Shelly Hulzinga, Flamborough Travel Plus
- Sonia Lawrence, TTTAND
- Tari Gibson, Plan It Travel Niagara
- Tracy Turberfield, Just Go Luxury Travel Experiences
- Victoria Guest, Tripcentral.ca
- Shannon Blackburn, First in Service
- Abdul Nazarali, Travel Beyond Borders
- Alice Budd, Destinations Travel and Cruise Centre
- Amanda Nagle, Red Label Vacations
- Cortney Cahusac, Flight Centre Burlington
- Ingrid Godman, Ingrid’s Travel
(Left) ABTA CEO Colin C James with Agent Kim Hartlen, winner of CEO’s Award; (Right) ABTA Director for Canada Tameka Wharton with agent Debbie Morra Brown, winner of Director’s AwardEnsemble
Ensemble has announced the details of ‘Beyond Extraordinary Experiences: Redefine Excellence’ top performers event in 2025. From July 21-24, participants will embark a trip to Tuscany, Italy, culminating in an opportunity to see renowned tenor Andrea Bocelli, at his 20th anniversary concert at the Teatro del Silenzio in his hometown, Lajatico.
Adding to the exclusivity of the experience, attendees will be treated to a private pre-concert dinner hosted by the Andrea Bocelli Foundation, joined by the Bocelli family.
Attendees will also enjoy a full itinerary of curated activities, top dining experiences in and around Florence and opportunities to extend their stay for further exploration.
Now in its second year, Beyond Extraordinary Experiences is designed to celebrate the top-performing members within the Ensemble network and exclusive opportunities for supplier partners to connect with these industry leaders.
The inaugural event in 2024 treated attendees to a trip to Paris including VIP access to the French Open at Roland Garros.
Travel Leaders Network
Travel Leaders Network has welcomed six new members to its Affiliate Advisory Board. The Advisory Board consists of a wide variety of Travel Leaders Network Affiliate (non-franchise) members and is a think tank for Travel Leaders’ executives as they seek to develop programs and tools to serve the membership.
The new members of the Affiliate Advisory Board include two Canadians:
Michelle Branco, Co-Owner of Ellison Travel & Tours, a full-service travel agency and tour operator based in Exeter, Ont. with additional offices in London, Ont. and Vancouver. Ellison was founded in 1980 and is now in the second generation of the family business. Branco has grown the team to over 100 staff across Canada.
Liz Moore, Owner of Liz Moore Destination Weddings in Vancouver Island, BC. Moore began her career in travel 2006 as a hosted agent. In 2010, she and her husband Steve Moore decided to create their own business dedicated exclusively to destination wedding travel. Over the years, they have successfully grown their agency with 16 Canadian ICs as well as 16 US IC agents. In 2013, they created an additional Destination Wedding agency in the UK called My Wedding Away.co.uk which presently has 6 UK-based agents.
The new Advisory Board members join current Canadian board members: Marivic Cregan, New West Holidaytrips, New Westminster, BC, and Carlton Montaut, Centre Holidays Inc., Mississauga, Ont.
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