This week: Trevello advisors convene in Belfast, Northern Ireland; Maritime Travel boosts its tech platform; Collette hosts its BDMs Down Under; Utah tourism’s three-city Canadian sales mission; and Visit Malta’s new agent training program.
Trevello
Trevello Travel Group is hosting its 2026 annual conference in Belfast, Northern Ireland this week with more than 250 travel advisors and supplier partners taking part in the five-day event, themed “Building Bridges.”
The “full-contact, fully immersive” experience is designed to make advisors “more connected, more confident, and more capable – from the first handshake to the final farewell,” says the agency organization, with CEO Zeina Gedeon stating, “This conference reflects what Trevello stands for. When advisors, supplier partners, and our head office come together with a shared purpose, we don’t just build connections, we build stronger businesses and a stronger industry.”
Highlights of the week include a black-tie gala hosted by Titanic Belfast, local sightseeing, and tours further afield across Northern Ireland.
Maritime Travel
Halifax-based Maritime Travel has joined forces with graspANALYTICS to provide business travel clients with state-of-the-art reporting and predictive technology. The new partnership allows clients to realize greater savings and to make smarter decisions around their travel spend.
“We’ve always taken pride in providing our business travel clients with great reporting,” says Gary Gaudry, President, Maritime Travel Inc. “This new partnership with graspANALYTICS allows us to take this service to the next level – giving our business customers increased savings and efficiencies.”
One stand-out of the tool is its predictive capability, which allows clients to forecast their travel spend and expenses, and even to come up with “what if” scenarios.
“It’s not just about monitoring your travel expenses, it means using real travel data to make smarter decisions around travel costs,” Gaudry said. The technology also provides potential areas for vendor analysis, and even CO2 emissions reports for ESG initiatives.
Collette
At a time when global uncertainty continues to challenge the travel industry, Collette says it is reaffirming its long‑term commitment to travel advisors with a significant investment in people, products, and partnership.
In April, Collette brought more than 100 BDMs from Canada to Australia for its 2026 Global Sales Conference (banner photo) – a hands‑on, immersive experience designed to deepen destination knowledge and sharpen strategies for the year ahead.
“This kind of investment, especially during a challenging time for the industry, reflects who we are as a company,” said Christian Leibl-Cote, Executive VP of Global Sales at Collette. “We know that the best way to support our travel advisor partners is to ensure our teams have deep, authentic knowledge of our destinations. When our people experience traveling the way our guests do, it can really open the lines of communication.”
The conference gave Collette’s international sales team the opportunity to explore iconic destinations including the Great Barrier Reef and Queenstown, while also strategizing future growth and collaboration across markets. The program reinforced Collette’s commitment to immersive learning across multiple destinations.
Utah Office of Tourism
The Utah Office of Tourism and its regional partners – Visit Salt Lake, Explore Logan, Heber Valley and Utah’s Canyon Country – conducted a Canadian Sales Mission to Toronto, Edmonton and Calgary from April 21-23 to connect with travel advisors and trade partners, and launch its Utah Specialist Academy 2.0 and FAM incentive.
“Canada is Utah’s #1 international market so as the state prepares to host the 2034 Winter Olympic & Paralympic Games, the Utah Office of Tourism continues to stay invested in the Canadian market for the long-term,” saidTera Atwood, Global Markets Specialist. “Canadian travel advisors and trade partners remain crucial to maintaining future travel planning and visitation.”
The Canadian Sales Mission included hosting an evening of appreciation for travel advisors in all three cities designed to remind the travel trade that when the time is right to visit Utah, Canadians are welcome. The travel trade were encouraged to stay connected through the new Utah Specialist Academy 2.0 | www.visitutahspecialistacademy.com – an online training program first launched in 2023 allowing the travel trade to become certified as Utah Specialists – including the announcement of a FAM incentive.
Agent trip prizes at the event, including air with Air Canada and WestJet, were won by Allana Haines, Marlin Travel; Claudie Da Fonseca, Centre Holidays in Edmonton; and Angela Escarilla, AMA Travel in Calgary.
EDUCATION
Visit Malta
VisitMalta’s new Travel Agent Training Program is designed to give agents the knowledge, tools, and inspiration to confidently sell Malta as a unique and compelling destination for your clients.
Through this program, you’ll gain:
- Insider knowledge on Malta’s diverse experiences, from culture and heritage to luxury and adventure
- Practical selling tips and ready-to-use resources
- Updates on new developments, hotels, and experiences
- Access to exclusive offers and incentives for certified agents
“Whether you’re already familiar with Malta or looking to expand your destination portfolio, this training will help you position Malta with confidence and creativity,” says Visit Malta.
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