ACTA kicked off the first of three cross-county travel industry summits this month in Toronto last week with over 500 attendees, a name change, and a presumed win on federal government debt relief that arrived during the event at the Toronto Congress Centre.
A key plank of ACTA’s advocacy efforts, the news that COVID relief loans would not be required by Dec. 31 (see previous story), was being unpacked by association execs over the weekend with the promise of further commentary to come, but was nevertheless the cherry on the cake of an enthusiastic Summit that was noticeably larger last year.
“ACTA is delighted with this afternoon’s announcement to extend CEBA loan repayments,” the association said in a statement. “Across Canada, our members are working extremely hard to recover from the pandemic, and more time to repay these loans will be very helpful.”
As for the Summit, ACTA president Wendy Paradis noted that among the attendees were a broad spectrum of travel advisors, including senior members of the 20 largest agencies in the country, along with ACTA board members from across Canada, suppliers, and other industry leaders.
The day’s events included keynote presentations and trends panels; breakout workshops; a seated lunch (featuring port wine from sponsor Portugal); an afternoon trade show; and evening networking cocktail party.
New name
But the first order of business was the declaration that ACTA – the Association of Canadian Travel Agencies (ACTA) – has expanded its name and will now be known as the Association of Canadian Travel Agencies & Travel Advisors, a move that was mooted as far back as 2018, but which was delayed by the pandemic.
Further, Paradis said the association will also officially call retail travel sellers “travel advisors” in all matters, rather than “travel agents.”
The ACTA president said the move is simply meant to modernize the association’s name and be more reflective of today’s ACTA members, especially independent advisors.
“It became very clear when we got into the pandemic that we needed to advocate differently for independent travel advisors because they were sole proprietors and because they were locked out of a lot of funding programs,” she stated.
As for the ubiquitous “agent vs. advisor” question, Paradis said, “Traditionally, ‘travel agents’ has been very respected terminology, but moving forward and modernizing, we find that more and more travel advisors are specializing and consulting with their clients; that they’re playing a much more transactional role than they did 40 years ago… It’s really modernizing and kind of elevating the profession.”
She observed that some ACTA members have already moved to the term advisor, but also travel curators, specialists, counsellors, even “gurus,” while some still retain the term agent.
But, she added, “Heck, whatever you call yourself is fine… Honestly, you should call yourself whatever resonates with you. The name is less important itself than the contract you have with your clients.”
Priorities
Noting that ACTA’s top priority is advocacy, Paradis said the association continues to be focussed on ensuring that the federal government is investing and prioritizing in Canada’s travel and tourism industry and that all levels of government reduce “unnecessary administration and financial burdens, and that they invest in workforce development initiatives to help rebuild this industry.”
Most critical is government loan forgiveness, with 67% of travel agencies that responded to an ACTA survey in the summer suggesting that they are not confident that they could meet the Dec. 31 repayment date, according to Paradis.
Another critical current file for ACTA is the ongoing structural review of the Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO), which includes the provincial Compensation Fund. In conjunction with other industry stakeholders, notably the Canadian Association of Tour Operators (CATO), the organizations are calling for greater input and transparency from the government regulator and reform of Fund financing, specifically shifting to a consumer pay model like the one used in Quebec.
With TICO’s virtual AGM to be held on Sept. 26, ACTA is asking all advisors (and TICO members) to take part and make their voices heard on reducing and reforming the fee model for the industry before TICO’s imminent final report is submitted to the government.
And the timing is critical, emphasized Paradis, who stated, “In our experience, when the report goes from TICO to the minister, it is very difficult to change it afterwards.”
Commission
Last but not least, Paradis addressed commissions, telling the audience, “You told us, starting in about 2019… that you would like to see a better, stronger Canadian travel industry where there are win-win-win relationships: a win for consumers, a win for a travel supplier, and a win for the travel advisor.”
This mandate, she said, has resulted in ongoing meeting with suppliers to discuss ways to strengthen their relationship with agencies, particularly when it comes to cash flow.
At the top of the list have been a focus on two things: processing commission payments at the time of final payment (as opposed to time of travel), and to pay commission on penalty fees and non-refundable amounts.
The result, she said, has been “fantastic meetings and discussions” that portend “an evolution, not a revolution,” towards new measures that can help agencies/agents, though it may take some time to work its way through the industry.
At the same time, as a measure of progress, Paradis gave a shout out to Air Canada Vacations VP Nino Montagnese “who left our meeting and two weeks later came forward and said, ‘done!’”
In summarizing such successes, and other ongoing ACTA efforts, including education (and the CTC/CTM program), Paradis declared to audience: “When we speak as one voice, we are very powerful.”
ACTA’s summits continue this week in Vancouver (Sept. 21) and in Montreal (Sept. 27).
2023 ACTA award recipients
At the conclusion of the Toronto Summit, the ACTA presented its six national awards, including a new award honouring Lifetime Achievement by a CTC/CTM. They included:
• ACTA Advocacy Award – Jamie Milton, CTM, Uniglobe Carefree Travel Group, Saskatoon: Before, during, and after the pandemic, Jamie is a dynamic and results-oriented advocate who understands the value of solidifying relationships with industry partners and her community for the benefit of the entire travel industry as well as her own business.
• Leisure Travel Advisor Award ¬– Camille Jocsak, CTC, Planned 2 Perfection, Mississauga: Camille is the multi-talented founder and President of Planned 2 Perfection in Mississauga and co-founder of P2P (Paradise to Perfection), P2P Life, and Travel with a Cause. In addition to her travel and customer service expertise, she is a wedding and corporate event planner, fundraising consultant, trainer, mentor, popular guest speaker, and contributor to trade magazines and media.
• Corporate Travel Advisor Award – Konstadina Mitropolous, AMEX Express Global Business, Toronto: Konstadina’s career is notable for her dedication to excellence and consistently impressive performance. She also acts as a trainer and mentor for peers. AMEX has selected her three times, including this year, for their prestigious GBT Pacesetters Award, identifying her among the most outstanding employees in their huge workforce around the world who combine high performance with exemplary teamwork.
• CTC/CTM Lifetime Achievement Award – Annette Frey, Uniglobe Carefree Travel Group, Saskatoon: This is a new ACTA award to honour an exceptional CTC or CTM who embodies the highest standards of professionalism and serves as an inspiring example of dedication and perseverance. In her 30-year career, Annette has been honoured 24 years in a row by Uniglobe Western Canada with their Gold award.
• ACTA Education Award – Angela Costs, CTC, from Mondessa Travel Group, Montreal: Angela is both a travel industry veteran and a highly respected educator at St. Pius X Career Centre in Montreal where she empowers her students to succeed in the travel industry. In addition to multiple travel certifications and diplomas, she will receive her Bachelors degree in professional education later this year.
• Tomorrow’s Leader Award – McKenzie McMillan from the Travel Group in Vancouver: McKenzie’s career path includes the hotel and airline industries before becoming a travel advisor and now manager of supplier relations. He is a high-profile advocate for the travel industry and Co-founder of Millennials in Travel who started the organization’s first chapter in Vancouver.