This week: Travel Master advisors visited Mexico; Total Advantage Travel & Tours has a launched a host agency; TDC held its Sales Academy at Sea; Kensington goes corporate; an incentive from Quark Expeditions, and Atlas Ocean Voyages has a new website for agents.
Travel Masters
Travel Masters, in conjunction with WestJet Vacations and multiple hotel partners, recently hosted several of its independent travel advisors on a multi-day familiarization trip in the Riviera Maya. The FAM trip brought agents together for immersive resort experiences, in-depth site inspections, and peer connections across a range of all-inclusive properties.
The itinerary provided firsthand exposure to a diverse mix of resorts and brands. Advisors participated in detailed site inspections at Royal Hideaway Playacar, the Barceló Maya Grand Resort complex, Margaritaville Island Reserve Riviera Cancun, and Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Riviera Maya.
The itinerary balanced structured site inspections with experiential elements, allowing advisors to experience dining concepts, wellness offerings, entertainment, and on-site amenities in addition to formal resort tours.
“This approach enables advisors to move beyond brochures and marketing materials, confidently matching travellers with resorts that align with their needs, preferences, and travel style,” says Travel Masters, adding, “(And) by bringing advisors together in person, the company creates opportunities for collaboration, relationship-building, and shared learning – helping advisors feel connected to the wider Travel Masters team, even when working independently.
Travel Masters says it plans to continue hosting advisor-focused FAM trips in the future as part of its ongoing investment in education, connection, and professional growth.
Total Advantage Travel & Tours
Thirty-year Toronto travel agency Total Advantage Travel & Tours has launched its own host agency – a “fully-supported home-based travel agent program built on complete transparency and industry-leading commissions.”
Designed for both new and experienced Canadian travel advisors, My Host Agent (MyHostAgent.com / MyHostAgent.ca), eliminates administrative headaches and hidden fees, allowing agents to focus exclusively on selling travel and serving clients, says Advantage. .
“We’ve spent years listening to what independent agents actually want. My Host Agent eliminates the red tape, delivers real-time transparent reporting, and lets advisors keep more of what they earn – simple as that,” says company president Robert Townshend.
Key features of the program include:
- Industry-leading commission splits with no hidden charges
- Real-time dashboards showing every dollar earned and paid
- Total Advantage Travel & Tours handles all invoicing, supplier payments, licensing, and paperwork
- Comprehensive training for newcomers and advanced tools for veterans
- Preferred pricing and VIP access to major airlines, cruise lines, tour operators, and hotels
- Ready-to-use marketing materials and optional lead-generation programs
- Complete flexibility to work from anywhere on the agent’s own schedule
“We fundamentally believe that travel agents are born as assets, not liabilities. By equipping our agents with the best tools, resources, and clear expectations, My Host Agent is fostering a community where they don’t just survive, they thrive,” adds marketing manager John Zeus Tokatlidis.
For info, go to MyHostAgent.com / MyHostAgent.ca.
Transat Distribution Canada
TDC brought together nearly 120 travel professionals aboard the Sun Princess, Princess Cruises’ newest ship, in December for a week of professional development (photo above). The event brought together travel advisors from across the TDC network, numerous preferred suppliers, including cruise and land partners, expert sales trainers, and several members of the TDC team.
“The Sales Academy at Sea, an in-person version of TDC’s exclusive training program, Campus, is unique. It is all three things at once: an intensive learning event, a one-stop shop for quality training, and a product immersion – because there is no better way to sell a ship than to have experienced it yourself,” says Sandra Wesson, Director of Products and Industry Relations at TDC. “Participants receive highly practical sales training while experiencing the ship and life on board, which allows them to better guide their customers toward the right products. Of course, the days are busy. But since fun is important at TDC, we always set aside a little time for entertainment. It’s truly the best of both worlds!”
Each day began with a custom sales training session, followed by partner presentations and hands-on workshops to apply the techniques discussed. Participants also had the opportunity to visit several popular ports of call, promoting networking and business development.
The 2025 edition of Campus’s Sales Academy at sea also highlighted the strong growth of the premium and luxury segment in the cruise industry. “At TDC, the premium and luxury market occupies an important place, which is reflected in the number of preferred partners with whom we have agreements. River cruises still occupy a large share of sales at TDC, while in terms of destinations, we continue to see the strongest growth in Europe and the Mediterranean.”
Kensington
Private guide luxury travel brand Kensington has launched Kensington Corporate, a newly rebranded division (formerly within the Travel Edge brand, a sister company) to serve to the business travel sector. The change reflects Kensington’s continued growth across its core lines of business aims to adapt the individualized planning and attention to detail that define Kensington’s leisure travel experiences to the business world.
The division provides 24/7 in-house support, proactive flight monitoring, elevated duty-of-care, and dedicated agents who manage all travel logistics and serve as the first point of contact for any need that arises through Kensington Concierge.
“Organizations today expect their travel programs to do more than move people efficiently. They want travel to actively support performance,” said Eric Holenka, SVP of Kensington Corporate. “Kensington Corporate brings a luxury mindset to the corporate world by applying the same level of personalization, care, and attention that has long defined the Kensington brand. When executives travel with support that is truly tailored to them, they arrive more focused, more prepared, and ready to deliver at the highest level.”
INCENTIVES
Quark Expeditions
Polar expedition specialist Quark Expeditions is giving travel advisors a chance to win a one of six berths on the company’s 14-day “South Greenland Adventure: The Majestic Alpine Arctic” voyage, sailing Aug. 29-Sept. 11, 2026. The “This is Polar” sweepstakes runs through March 31, 2026. To participate, travel advisors must register on the official entry page and begin collecting points. The more points earned, the more entries submitted For details and to register, go to
https://www.quarkexpeditions.com/partners .
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