This week: TRAVELSAVERS Canada is headed to San Antonio in 2026; Marco Pozzobon is moving on up at ACTA; Nexion names its award winners for the year; a Groups and Charters module has been added to Quark Expeditions’ learning platform for travel advisors; and Britain’s The Great West Way touring route has released a helpful, new trade directory.
TRAVELSAVERS Canada
TRAVELSAVERS Canada (banner photo) has announced its 2026 Affluent Traveller Collection Symposium and Travel Market will be held back to back from Sept. 22 to 27 at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa in San Antonio, Texas. Registration for both is now open.
“These events go beyond education and networking – they reflect our commitment to championing travel professionals and providing them with the tools, advocacy, and community they need to thrive,” says said Jane Clementino, Sr. VP. and GM of TRAVELSAVERS Canada.
“TRAVELSAVERS Canada, advisor success is always at the heart of what we do, and these gatherings are a powerful way to celebrate and strengthen that supportive community.”
- ATC Symposium (Sept. 22-24) is an exclusive luxury conference offering strategies, trends and insights from luminaries to boost success for affiliated agencies and preferred partners. Attendees build and strengthen relationships through breakout sessions, a trade show, one-on-one advisor-supplier appointments, and social opportunities. Attendance is limited to ATC affiliated advisors and suppliers.
- Travel Market (Sept. 24-27) will welcome 1,000 top advisors and preferred partners for three days of learning, networking, and inspiration. Attendees delve into the latest industry developments and discover approaches to drive their business forward. Travel Market offers keynote presentations by expert speakers, hands-on training, panel discussions, one-on-one advisor-supplier meetings, trade show, and receptions and meals. The event is open to TRAVELSAVERS-affiliated advisors and suppliers only.
ACTA
ACTA has announced the promotion of Marco Pozzobon to Vice President, Strategic Partnerships and Business Development, effective Oct. 1. In this role, Pozzobon, who has been with ACTA for 15 years, will continue to forge key partnerships and further drive business development to support the association’s long-term vision.
Monica Johnstone, ACTA Chair of the Board commented: “Marco has demonstrated exceptional commitment to building meaningful partnerships that have strengthened our organization and positioned us well for the future. The Board and I are confident that Marco will excel in this new role and continue to be a driving force behind our growth.”
“I am thrilled to see Marco step into this expanded role,” added ACTA president Suzanne Acton Gervais. “His innovative approach and deep understanding of our business make him the ideal leader to advance our strategic partnerships and business development priorities.
She continued: “This promotion reflects ACTA’s ongoing commitment to recognizing and empowering leadership talent within the organization and an increased focus on business development opportunities that support ACTA.”
Nexion
At its recent annual conference – the largest ever with 725 advisors, staff and partners on hand at Loews Sapphire Falls Resort at Universal Orlando – Nexion Travel Group Nexion honoured top members with awards recognizing their outstanding achievements over the past year. They included Canadians:
Canadian Rising Star: Kevin Lapointe of Sunscape Vacations, Orléans, Ont.
The Ray of Positivity Award: Gene Jochen of Whitby, Ont., for consistently maintaining a positive outlook, being exceptionally helpful to fellow Nexion members and supplier partners, and naturally promoting Nexion whenever the opportunity arises.
The Fostering Excellence Award: New this year, the award honouring former Nexion Canada president Mike Foster for his trailblazing contributions to the agency was presented to Gillian Scott of St. Thomas, Ont.
The Be Kind Award: Kim McPhail of Petrolia, Ont., for consistently embodying optimism, bringing positivity to every room they enter and demonstrating professionalism and grace in every situation.
The Stories of Success Award: Lisa Dunne of Dunnville, Ont., recognizing their inspiring achievements and contributions. Dunne was a double winner, also being given the Spotlight Success Award.
Quark Expeditions
Quark Expeditions has introduced a new addition to its advisor learning platform, PolarPRO. The Groups and Charters specialization module has been designed to help travel advisors unlock new revenue opportunities by delivering in-depth knowledge on how to sell and customize group and charter experiences in the polar regions.
Within the module, advisors will learn about flexible booking terms, payment options, and real-life use cases for maximizing group benefits and commissions. For additional assistance, it also offers AI-driven support and robust training tools.
The new Groups & Charters module is available exclusively through the Quark Expeditions Partner Portal.
Great West Way
Britain’s Great West Way has released its latest digital Travel Trade Directory, a one-stop-shop for intermediaries seeking to curate market-ready experiences along or within easy reach of the Great West Way – a multi-modal tourist route running west from London to Bristol, and all points in between.
This new 7th edition is an excellent resource for the trade who are planning on developing new itineraries, with information on destinations, attractions, accommodation and refreshment stops, 400-plus trade focussed attractions and accommodation listings, new ideas for bookable experiences, activities and specialist tours and new highlights looking ahead to 2027.
Download a pdf copy HERE.
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