Staff Writer News

RETAIL ROUND-UP: Agent news, fams & incentives

Transat Distribution Canada (TDC), concluded its five-day National Leadership Conference in Spain last week, which brought together the owners and managers of franchised and affiliated agencies of the TDC network, the managers of Transat Travel/Voyages Transat agencies, the members of the TDC leadership team as well as many preferred partners at Club Med Magna Marbella, on the Spanish Costa del Sol.

This week: Transat Distribution Canada, Nexion, Expedia TAAP, Uniworld Boutique River Cruises, Virtuoso-Allianz, and Zebrano Travel.

EVENTS

Nexion

Nexion Travel Group reminds that it will host the Nexion Canada this month – April 17 in Toronto and April 24 in Richmond, Vancouver. In addition, Nexion will hold its exclusive Corporate CoNexions weekend business event in Toronto from July 25-27.

The regional conferences are designed to give Nexion Travel Group members a chance to network with colleagues from the same geographic area, meet and mingle with local supplier partners and business development managers, learn about Nexion programs that assist in agency business growth, expand knowledge of supplier partners and deepen relationships.

To register for the events, go to https://nexion.com/fundamentals/regionals/ .

TECHNOLOGY

Expedia TAAP

Expedia Travel Agent Affiliate Program (TAAP) has unveiled the platform’s newest feature: the agency service charge, which gives travel advisors the option to add a discretionary charge to an Expedia TAAP lodging booking. With the agency service charge feature, travel advisors can apply up to 30% of the total booking value as an agency service charge. The charge can be added to both standalone lodging and package rates.

“As more travellers are turning to travel advisors for their expertise, we’re here to support them every step of the way as a trusted partner and ally,” said Robin Lawther, VP of Expedia TAAP. “The ability to add an agency service charge has been a highly requested feature, making it a natural next step in expanding our platform and continuing to empower travel advisors to expand their businesses and boost their earnings.”

Travel advisors can seamlessly integrate agency service charges into their lodging bookings at checkout, and agency managers can also easily keep track of agency service charges across their teams with their monthly Expedia TAAP statements.

The ability to add an agency service charge is available in several markets, including Canada.

Learn more HERE.

APPOINTMENTS

Zebrano Travel

 Zebrano Travel in Toronto has appointed Aaron Levine as VP Operations & Strategic Partnerships effective April 7. Levine has over 24 years of experience in the travel industry, most recently Laurier Du Vallon Rosedale with Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG), where he was Network Manager with responsibilities of leading a team of employees across Canada.

In February 2025, Levine was awarded the prestigious Northern Lights Award during Virtuoso’s Canada Forum. He is also currently serving as the elected Chair of the Virtuoso’s Destinations and Experiences Committee and sits on the network’s Canada Regional Member Advisory Board. This Committee is responsible for vetting destination management companies to ensure the utmost quality and fit for Virtuoso’s advisors across the globe.

“Aaron brings a tremendous breadth of experience to the Zebrano Travel management team… We are looking forward to leveraging his skillset and vast knowledge to create a roadmap for growth for the UHNW segment. This is not a one-size-fits-all customer group. Our objective is to create a strategic plan for growth but never losing sight of the highly personalized approach that is at the heart of Zebrano Travel,” said Zebrano owner Anna Judek.

EDUCATION

Uniworld Boutique River Cruises

 Travel advisors are invited to complete the newly revamped “What’s New for 2026” certification course, now available on the Uniworld University online training portal. The updated course provides an in-depth look at Uniworld’s offerings for 2026, including the debut of the luxurious S.S. Emilie, brand-new European itineraries, and the 50-night ‘Rivers of the World’ cruise. Advisors who complete the course gain exclusive perks, such as a featured spot in Uniworld’s online directory of preferred advisors, a personalized certification badge for their email signature, and eligibility for savings of up to 60% on Uniworld cruise fares. To access the course, advisors can visit https://www.uniworld.com/ca/uniworld-university

AWARDS

Virtuoso-Allianz

Virtuoso recently presented its second annual regional Virtuoso Awards at its Canada Forum, which took place at Fairmont le Château Frontenac in Québec City, where Allianz Global Assistance Canada received the award for Top Producer in Specialty, which honours a Virtuoso member and partner with the highest overall network sales in a respective category.

“We are proud to be recognized as Virtuoso’s 2025 Top Producing Specialty Partner in Canada,” said Cheri Thompson, Allianz’s Regional Sales Director, Canada. “This award highlights the strength of our partnership with Virtuoso and our shared commitment to ensuring travellers have the protection they need for their journeys.

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