This week: TRAVELSAVERS Canada recognizes its best; Direct Travel launches a charitable initiative with Intrepid; Travel Best Bets agents visit Madeira; Fareconnect.com, a Canadian-based member of Ensemble is expanding into the U.S.; Virtuoso announces global access to Bedsonline products;
TRAVELSAVERS Canada
TRAVELSAVERS Canada recognized the year’s most accomplished agencies and preferred partners during a recent gala awards celebration. The awards honoured standout travel businesses and partners whose exceptional performance, business growth, innovation and engagement have helped shape a stronger future for travel advisors.
Presented before hundreds of advisors and suppliers at the finale to Travel Market, which took place at JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa Sept. 24-27, the winners “show what focus and hard work can achieve,” said Jane Clementino, Sr. VP and GM of TRAVELSAVERS Canada. “Their success sets a new standard for our network, and these agencies and partners are helping define what excellence looks like in the travel industry today.”
Chairman’s Award – Agencies
- Groupe Atrium
President’s Award
- Total Advantage Travel
Soaring Eagle Awards
- Luv to Travel
- GOwithHIPPO Travel
Horizon Awards
- Murdoch Travel
- South Coast World Travel
- Verona Travel
Inspire Awards
- Progress Travel Services Inc.
- Travel Beyond Borders
- Crowfoot Travel Solutions
Brand Champion Awards
- Vacances Inter Inc.
- CM Travel
- Walnut Grove Cruise & Travel
- Markham Cruise & Travel
Chairman’s Award – Preferred Partner
- Air Canada Vacations
Partner of the Year Awards
- Cruise – Celebrity Cruises
- River Cruise – AmaWaterways
- Hotel – Hyatt
- OnLocation – Abercrombie & Kent Global DMCs
- Destination – Discover Puerto Rico
- Air – Delta Air Lines
- Tour: Canada – TravelBrands
- Specialty, Insurance or Ground Transportation: Canada – Manulife
- Best Sales & Service: Canada – Collette
- Luxury – Silversea
Direct Travel
Direct Travel announced the launch of Direct Impact: Give Back, a new initiative developed in partnership with Intrepid Travel that gives advisors a meaningful way to engage clients in charitable giving as part of their travel planning. The initiative connects travellers with carefully vetted, community-led projects in the destinations they visit, work in, or feel a personal connection to.
Through Direct Impact: Give Back, advisors can invite clients to support causes from youth empowerment to humanitarian response and community-driven climate action with 100% of donations going directly to partner organizations on the ground. The Intrepid Foundation, Intrepid Travel’s nonprofit arm, will manage project selection, donation processing, and impact reporting, while Intrepid Travel will cover all administrative costs to ensure full transparency.
“Travellers consistently tell us they want their trips to leave a positive footprint, not just take one,” said Rene Schneeberger, Sr. VP, Leisure Supplier Relations and Revenue Optimization, Direct Travel, Inc. “Direct Impact: Give Back gives advisors an easy, authentic way to bring that conversation into the planning process. It’s not about asking for money, it’s about offering clients a meaningful way to live out their values through travel.”
Projects supported through the initiative include:
- Expanding education access for girls in Morocco’s High Atlas region through Education For All
- Supporting Cambodia Rural Students Trust’s work to break cycles of poverty through education
- Advancing water skills training programs with Indigenous communities
- in Canada through Water First
- Strengthening conservation partnerships in Kenya through the East Africa Wildlife Society
- Restoring ecosystems through Eden: People + Planet and Rainforest Rescue
Advisors also have access to a dedicated toolkit with guidance on starting client conversations, setting up personal fundraisers, and sharing the impact of every contribution, turning everyday trip planning into an opportunity for travelers to give back.
Travel Best Bets
Travel Best Bets recently hosted an exclusive FAM trip to Madeira, Portugal, in partnership with Tourism Madeira, giving six Travel Best Bets Connected Agents an immersive, first-hand experience of the destination.
The FAM was led by Matthew Medeiros, Connected Agent Program Coordinator, and brought together top-producing Connected Agents and emerging agents demonstrating strong sales growth and potential.
The group experienced Madeira’s diverse tourism offerings, including its culture, gastronomy, wine, adventure and luxury hospitality. Highlights included exploring Funchal, a Madeira wine experience at Blandy’s, a Jeep tour and wine tasting, an East Coast tour, local culinary and sustainable farm experiences, and property visits at Les Suites at The Cliff Bay and Savoy Palace. Agents also experienced some of Madeira’s more distinctive activities, including a sidecar tour, traditional Poncha tasting and a boat tour from Funchal Marina.
“Experiencing a destination first-hand gives our Connected Agents the knowledge and confidence to recommend it in a much more meaningful way,” said Claire Newell, President of Travel Best Bets. “Madeira offers an incredible mix of food and wine, culture, luxury, nature and adventure, making it a destination with strong appeal for many different Canadian travellers.”
The FAM is part of Travel Best Bets’ ongoing commitment to providing its national network of Connected Agents with meaningful education and destination experiences that strengthen product knowledge and support continued sales growth.
Virtuoso/ HBX Group
Leading B2B travel technology marketplace HBX Group has announced the global expansion of its partnership with Virtuoso, the world’s leading network specializing in luxury and experiential travel. Building on a successful relationship that began in North America in 2001, the agreement now extends worldwide, giving Virtuoso member agencies across the globe access to Bedsonline’s full portfolio of travel products and services for the first time.
Expanding from a North American relationship to a global partnership unlocks greater choice, wider reach, and new growth opportunities for both organizations and the Virtuoso travel advisor community. It also enables advisors to build more personalised itineraries by combining accommodation with transfers, experiences and mobility services through a single platform.
Through Bedsonline, Virtuoso advisors will be able to book accommodation, premium transfers, car rental, experiences and activities through a single platform designed specifically for travel professionals. They will also have access to Bedsonline’s Luxury Collection, featuring a carefully selected portfolio of luxury hotels complemented by The Luxurist’s concierge service, helping advisors deliver seamless, tailored experiences for their clients.
Ensemble/Fareconnect.com
Fareconnect.com, a Canadian host agency and member of Ensemble, is expanding into the United States through the launch of FareconnectUSA.com, a separately operated company that will begin serving advisors in California before expanding into Florida in 2027.
Founded in Medicine Hat. Atla., Fareconnect.com supports a network of more than 550 travel advisors across Canada, from Vancouver to Newfoundland. The company has earned a reputation for developing new travel professionals through comprehensive training, mentorship and proprietary technology designed to help advisors build successful businesses.
Fareconnect USA will operate independently under the domain FareConnectUSA.com while carrying forward the same advisor-first philosophy that has defined the Canadian business.
As in Canada, Fareconnect USA will focus primarily on individuals entering the travel industry rather than recruiting experienced advisors from competing host agencies. The company says its goal is not to disrupt the marketplace, but to expand it by attracting new talent and providing the education, mentorship and business tools needed to build lasting careers.
That philosophy reflects the background of founders Rick and Cindy Gaudet, who entered the travel industry following careers in the military.
The expansion also creates new opportunities for Fareconnect to strengthen its presence in the cruise market. With California and Florida serving as two of North America’s largest cruise hubs, the company plans to expand its cruise training, supplier relationships and advisor resources, helping more new-to-industry advisors build successful cruise businesses as part of their overall travel practice.
“Fareconnect’s expansion is exactly the kind of success we love to celebrate at Ensemble,” said Kristina Boyce, SVP, Operations and Member Services. “Our role is to be a partner in our members’ growth by providing the community, relationships and resources that help them stay ahead and achieve their goals. We’re proud to support Rick, Cindy and the entire Fareconnect team as they bring their proven approach to the U.S. market.”
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