This week: News from The Travel Agent Next Door, Trevello Canada, Direct Travel and Virtuoso; ACTA is planning town hall events next week; plus, incentives from Intrepid Travel and New York City.
TTAND
The Travel Agent Next Door has a new all-inclusive booking engine, built entirely in-house by the TTAND expert IT team, using state-of-the-art Softvoyage technology. Designed specifically for Canadian travel agents and their customers, TTAND says the B2B2C platform is a “game changer” and sets a “new industry benchmark as the best solution available on the market today for booking all-inclusive sun destination vacations.”
With an array of advanced functionalities, this platform not only streamlines the booking process but also enhances every facet of the customer journey.
Key features include a customizable look and feel; deals section; pricing calendar; real-time data and dynamic; detailed insights; mobile-friendly design; internal portal access; and rich resort content.
“Our travel agents are at the heart of our success,” said Jeff Element, COO, The Travel Agent Next Door. “With this new booking engine, we’re equipping them with the best tool on the market to deliver richer, more personalized travel experiences. By integrating a robust internal portal and offering detailed property content, we’ve ensured that both our agents and their customers can enjoy a seamless journey from inquiry to booking… This tool will truly redefine the travel booking experience for all-inclusive sun destinations.”
ACTA
ACTA is inviting travel advisors to join a special online Advocacy Townhall on March 11 (English) or March 13 (French) – both from 1 to 2 p.m. EST– hosted by Avery Campbell, the association’s Director of Advocacy and Industry Relations, and Patrice Malacort, Quebec Membership Manager, respectively.
Topics will include ACTA’s latest advocacy efforts, including an update on Canada-US relations, and how ACTA IS supporting travel advisors and agencies across Canada.
For the English session, register HERE.
And French, HERE.
Trevello Canada
Trevello Canada reports that it has been recognized with several cruise industry accolades, reflecting the company’s outstanding performance in cruise sales. Among them: Top 50 with Celebrity North America. Oceania Cruises Connoisseur Club; Norwegian Cruise Line President’s Club; Top Yacht Club Sales with MSC Cruises; and Windstar Cruises Club 180.
The organization says the achievements are a direct result of its strategic focus on amplifying cruise sales across its advisor network, resulting with record-breaking sales in 2024 that have carried strong momentum into January.
“Thanks to the incredible work of our advisors, we have achieved sales levels we’ve never seen before in our cruise business, and the growth continues,” said Caroline Hay, Director Cruise, Trevello.
Direct Travel
Direct Travel reports that 17 of the company’s travel advisors across North America have been named Virtuoso Cruise Icons – status that affords recipients global recognition as top performers, plus exclusive opportunities to network and collaborate with like-minded professionals and priority access to training, events and resources.
Only 1% of Virtuoso advisors are named Cruise Icons.
Celebrating her fifth consecutive year as a Virtuoso Cruise Icon is Sandra Keeso-Hall of Direct Travel’s Georgetown, Ont., while Toronto-based advisor Gerry Koolhof is celebrating his second consecutive year.
Other Canadian Cruise Icons are Rose Coleman, Erika Gal, Sheila Gallant-Halloran, Shawn Kilner, Grace Markus, Magda Newman, Sue Pechtel, Alan Szeto and Barbara Trotter.
Virtuoso-O2 Beach Club & Spa
O2 Beach Club & Spa has been accepted into Virtuoso’s exclusive portfolio of luxury travel partners, comprising 2,300 preferred suppliers in 100 countries. According to Patricia Affonso-Dass, CEO and group general manager of Ocean Hotels Barbados, O2 Beach Club & Spa’s inclusion in Virtuoso will present new sales and marketing opportunities to the network’s luxury travel advisors and their highly desirable clientele.
INCENTIVES
Intrepid Travel
The ‘Intrepid IN to WIN’ incentive program continues throughout March with every booking bringing exclusive perks for travel agent clients and rewards for the agents themselves – including guaranteed FAM spot, major B Corp giveaways, and even a free Intrepid trip worth up to $3,500. In January, the lucky winner claimed a spot on the Colombia FAM trip.
- How It works: The agent with the highest revenue in March wins a free Intrepid trip (up to $3,500 USD value); All program details, eligibility, and the form to confirm value-adds are available on Agent Hub. (*Not applicable to Tailor-Made bookings.)
“This isn’t just another incentive—this is an agent’s chance to book, win, and travel with Intrepid in a way that benefits both the agent and their clients,” said Laura Hernandez, Head of Partnerships North America. “The travel landscape is shifting, and agents are at the heart of it. We’re making sure they’re rewarded for leading the way.”
New York City Travel Trade Academy
Travel advisors who complete the NYC Travel Trade Academy by April 30 will have a chance to win two round-trip economy class tickets to New York with Air Canada and two nights at the Delta Hotel, New York-Times Square.
The academy is a self-guided online course that helps tourism professionals become destination specialists for New York. Every module describes up to 50 popular locations in each of the city’s five boroughs and is divided by categories. It covers geography and transportation options as well as attractions, parks, restaurants, and hotels.
The trip winner will be notified by May 15 and must travel (from an international gateway) between July 1 and Aug. 31. Some additional conditions may apply.
Register HERE.
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