Condé Nast recognition, a new member advisory board, and a new app feature designed to facilitate “blind travel dating” for solo travellers highlight this week’s round-up.
FLIGHT CENTRE
Based on the premise that the world is teeming with single travellers, Flight Centre has taken a rose petal out of the books of Tinder and Match to present Captain Cupid, a new function on its app that pairs users with likely romantic partners on their next flight, cruise, or tour (banner photo).
“With around 42% of our global customers travelling solo, it’s clear thousands of people each year are travelling in the hope of finding romance,” says Flight Centre Global Managing Director Andrew Stark. “So, our app-based Captain Cupid service is long overdue.”
Stark says the demand for travel among people seeing the world solo is surging in the wake of the pandemic.
“In the last six months alone we’ve seen the number of solo travel bookings leap 6% globally,” he says, adding, “Imagine the number of times you’ve travelled and could’ve been sitting for hours on end with the person of your dreams and never realized it! Now with Captain Cupid you’ll know, and something beautiful could be unfolding on your next flight from London to Singapore, or while on safari in Kruger National Park, or on a cruise across the Pacific or around the Mediterranean.”
Stark says Flight Centre hopes the Captain Cupid service will “set an industry benchmark for blind travel dating into the future.”
“We think the world is more than ready to embrace this travel innovation and embrace each other on long-haul flights, romantic sea voyages, and in the back of four-wheel drive vehicles.”
The feature is set to go live in May.
ENSEMBLE
As part of its commitment to enhance communication with members on an ongoing basis, Ensemble has formed a new Member Advisory Council. The group is comprised of a select group of members who will work together to provide insight and feedback on the consortium’s programming to facilitate refinements as well as to share best practices that can be applied to the entire Ensemble community.
“We are very mindful that our members have gone through numerous changes over the past few years, including Ensemble’s acquisition last year,” states David Harris, Executive Chairman of Ensemble, who will also serve as Chairman of the Member Advisory Council.
“We also know that we have introduced many new programs in a relatively short period of time. And while members are excited about and have embraced these new offerings, we always want to ensure that we can take the pulse of how they are being received and if or where there are areas where we can refine them for maximum utilization and effectiveness.”
The inaugural Member Advisory Council includes appointees from a cross section of members from large host agencies to individual agencies including:
• James Ferrera – Co-founder and President, InteleTravel
• Jeff Oestreich – President, Goldrush Getaways
• Laurie Keith – President, Romantic Planet Vacations
• Marie-Pier Guilmette – Owner, Inspirations Voyage
• Nadiya Makarenko – Sr. VP, Travel Edge Network
• Rick Gaudet – President, Fareconnect Travel & Cruise Centre
• Ross Spalding – President, Crown Cruise Vacations
• Sanjay Goel – President, Cruise Connections
“I am excited to be part of this group and look forward to meeting with my fellow members as we work together to ensure that Ensemble’s leadership and membership are always sharing insight, feedback and working to achieve our shared goals,” said Jeff Oestrich, President of Goldrush Getaways.
Rick Gaudet, President, Fareconnect Travel & Cruise Centre, added, “If there is one thing that I think we’ve all learned to appreciate over the last few years is the value of being able to come together and focus on mutually shared objectives in order to move forward in a collaborative and productive way.”
The group will have its first meeting later this month with plans to speak regularly and meet formally on a quarterly basis.
The launch of the Member Advisory Council follows on the heels of several programs and initiatives that have been introduced in the past several months. This includes Ensemble’s new hotel and marketing programs, new FAM program, new print and digital publications, new training program and new branding including a series of annual events.
DIRECT TRAVEL
Four Direct Travel independent travel advisors have been named to the prestigious Condé Nast Travel Specialists list. The list, which features some 400 travel advisors and niche tour operators around the world, recognizes top advisors for their experience, expertise, resourcefulness, and customer care. As Condé Nast expresses it: “They’ll pull off the impossible and spare you the logistics.”
The Canadian Direct Travel (formerly Vision Travel) advisors are White-Rock, B.C.-based Ariane Henry (making her third appearance on the list); sisters Lisa and Nancy Zupancic of Toronto (who also appeared last year); and Katherine Velan of Montreal.
Reacting to the news, Henry commented that she feels honoured to be singled out for the accolade, especially considering the challenges the industry has suffered in the past three years.
“Travel is my passion and I love helping clients really experience a new destination or a familiar place with a different lens. Helping create amazing memories for my clients brings me so much joy,” she said.