This week: ACTA agents discovered Iceland with Aurora Expeditions, First in Service agents access the effects of the Iran war; Saint Lucia gave out its Grand Piton Awards; and Transat Distribution Canada took top agents to Portugal; and Collette unveils its new Selling Playbook for Travel Advisors … more
ACTA-Aurora Expeditions
The Association of Canadian Travel Agencies and Travel Advisors (ACTA), in partnership with Aurora Expeditions, recently welcomed 26 travel advisors on a seven-day, first-of-its-kind Immersive Expedition Cruise aboard the state-of-the-art expedition vessel M/V Sylvia Earle, exploring Iceland’s spectacular Westfjords region.
Advisors experienced the dramatic beauty of Iceland’s fjords, discovered diverse natural wonders, and took part in authentic expedition activities including Zodiac wet landings and guided hikes through lava fields and along rugged coastal trails. The journey offered travel advisors valuable insight into the expedition cruise experience, equipping them with firsthand knowledge to better serve clients seeking adventure and experiential travel.
“This was my first expedition cruise, and I wasn’t sure if it would be for me. I ended up loving every minute of it,” declared Laura Tempan, Sun Touch Travel, adding, “The experience gave me a whole new appreciation for what expedition travel is all about, and I now feel much more confident introducing clients to expedition cruising and inspiring them to explore incredible destinations like Iceland.”
ACTA says immersive experiences like these reflect its commitment to education and professional development, providing members with firsthand knowledge and valuable insights that enable them to better serve clients and grow their businesses.
Saint Lucia Tourism Authority
The Saint Lucia Tourism Authority (SLTA) celebrated the achievements of its top-performing travel advisors, and tour operators from around the world at the 6th Annual Global Piton Awards, recognizing exceptional contributions to driving visitor arrivals and tourism revenue to Saint Lucia in 2025.
2026 Global Piton award winners from Canada included Phillip Newton Bastiampillai – Travelair Inc.; Kim Hartlen – Kim Hartlen Travel – Trevello; Lois Barbour – Travel Time Agency; Jennifer Gaskell – Pink Palm Travel; and Alicia DaSilva – Luxe Destination Weddings. Barbour also earned the CEO Award Canada.
First in Service (F1S)
A new poll of travel advisors worldwide from First in Service Travel LTD (F1S) shows the Iran conflict has produced limited overall disruption to their travel business volume but has driven clear behavioural shifts and a pronounced redirection of demand toward Europe. Nearly 60% of the F1S advisors surveyed across Europe, North America and South America said they had not experienced any changes in bookings or had seen an uptick.
Key findings from the F1S advisor poll:
Impact on business volume: F1S travel advisors were asked, “How has the Iran conflict affected your overall travel business volume?”
- 7%: “Increased: uncertainty has driven more clients to seek advice.”
- 1%: “No change: business is about the same as before.”
- 3%: “Somewhat decreased: slight softening, but still manageable.”
- 8%: Significantly decreased: bookings are noticeably down.”
Booking behavior changes: F1S advisors were then asked, “How have your clients’ booking behaviors shifted in response to the current conflict?”
- 2%: “No meaningful shift — my clients are proceeding with original plans.”
- 4%: “Redirected demand — clients are still traveling, just to different regions.”
- 3%: “Shorter lead times — clients are booking closer to departure.”
- 1%: “Cancellations or postponements — clients are holding off entirely.”
“While some F1S clients are postponing travel, the majority remain confident and are simply re-routing to familiar regions perceived as lower-risk – notably Europe – and booking with shorter lead times. That combination points to ongoing opportunities for our advisors to guide and reassure clients during uncertain times,” said Fernando Gonzalez, CEO and Founder of First in Service.”
Transat Distribution Canada
Transat Distribution Canada hosted 50 of its top-performing advisors from Transat Travel/Voyages Transat agencies (photo above), as well as from its franchised and affiliated agencies across Canada, on its Ovation Trip: a seven-night stay in the coastal region of the Algarve, Portugal. The group stayed at the brand-new Tivoli Alvor Algarve All Inclusive Resort as part of this incentive trip, offered in collaboration with two of TDC’s key partners, 5Continents and its family partner, Transat.
“The Ovation Trip is a celebration of our advisors’ outstanding commitment to their clients and, above all, the ultimate reward for recognizing exceptional sales performance throughout the year – particularly for Transat products, a partner with which TDC maintains a close and longstanding relationship,” said Karine Gagnon, GM of TDC.
Collette
Collette says it is doubling down on its commitment to the travel advisor community with the launch of its new “Guided Advantage: A Selling Playbook for Travel Advisors 2026-2027,” a strategic resource designed to help advisors grow their business by confidently delivering premium guided travel experiences.
As trip planning becomes more complex and traveller expectations continue to rise, says Collette, noting the playbook positions travel advisors as the essential advantage – and equipping them with the tools, language, and strategies needed to stand out in a crowded marketplace.
“Your clients are navigating more choices than ever before,” said Kelsie Marchetti, Head of Virtual Events at Collette. “This playbook helps advisors cut through that noise – leading with expertise, building trust, and matching each traveler with the right experience.”
At its core, “The Guided Advantage” helps advisors reposition guided travel as a premium solution for today’s traveller – one that delivers:
- Deeper cultural connection
- Thoughtful pacing with more time in destination
- Built-in flexibility and personalization
- Seamless, expert-managed logistics
- The playbook introduces a simple framework to help advisors move from transactional selling to trusted consulting:
- Uncover your client’s travel style through meaningful questions
- Match preferences to Collette’s diverse tour portfolio
- Recommend experiences based on how your client wants to travel
- To support more confident selling, Collette provides advisors with practical ways to communicate value beyond price — highlighting the benefits of guided travel, including:
- End-to-end planning handled by experts
- Dedicated Tour Managers throughout the journey
- Hand-selected accommodations and immersive experiences
- Built-in cultural and culinary moments your client couldn’t easily access on their own
“The Guided Advantage” also focuses on helping advisors expand their business through:
- Group travel as a driver of loyalty and revenue
- Extensions and enhancements that personalize each trip
- Post-trip engagement that turns great experiences into long-term relationships
Collette has several other tools for advisors, including the Travel Advisor Playbook available in its Travel Advisor Portal.
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