A busy week in the neighbourhood: In this week’s Round-Up, TDC treated top owners to a Me cruise; TTAND earned plaudits from Playa Hotels; Direct Travel agents received prestigious nominations; a milestone anniversary for redtag.ca; F1S expanded into the UK; and appointments at the Travel Leaders and Travel Edge networks, as well as TRAVELSAVERS Canada.

Transat Distribution

Transat Distribution Canada (TDC) recently invited 25 owners of franchised and affiliated agencies from across Canada and a companion of their choice for a seven-night reward cruise in the Eastern Mediterranean, aboard the luxury vessel Seabourn Encore.

“This select group of entrepreneurs… distinguished themselves in 2023 with extraordinary sales performances. This cruise was our way of congratulating and thanking them for their remarkable contribution as remarkable players within our network,” said Karine Gagnon, TDC General Manager. “With the fast pace imposed by our daily activities, it’s often more difficult to take the time, to have sustained, more thorough discussions. This direct feedback from our members is invaluable to me, as General Manager, as well as to the members of the TDC management team who accompanied the group.”

The winners arrived in Athens on Air Transat and were immediately invited aboard the Seabourn Encore, including an exclusive boat expedition around the Greek island of Skiathos, in the Aegean Sea. They were also able to choose an excursion of their choice, offered by Seabourn, to discover Bodrum, Turkey.

At the end of the stay, TDC organized a recognition evening in the Grand Salon of the Seabourn Encore, to highlight the owners’ achievements and contributions in 2023.

Next year’s trip will be to Peru.

Direct Travel

 Two Canadian advisors from Direct Travel have been named finalists for prestigious Virtuoso Travel community awards. Sheila Gallant-Halloran of Direct affiliate Lush Life Travel in Ottawa has been nominated in the Top Sustainability Community award category; and Shawn Kilner of Imagine Cruise & Travel in Nanaimo, B.C. in the Top Culinary Community Advisor award category.

The awards reflect the advisors’ strong support of Virtuoso partners in their respective communities. “It’s wonderful to see Sheila and Shawn nominated for these awards,” said Stephen Smith, Sr. VP, Leisure Strategy & Marketing at Direct Travel. “They have both carved out niches in a very competitive industry and are proving they are at the top of their game. To be recognized like this amongst one’s peers is impressive indeed.”

The winners will be announced at the Community Lunch event at Virtuoso Travel Week which will take place in Las Vegas in August.

The Travel Agent Next Door

The Travel Agent Next Door was recently awarded Top Selling Agency in Canada by Playa Hotels & Resorts at its Spotlight Awards held at the Hyatt Ziva resort in Cancun.

Other TTAND winners were as follows:

Ambassador Award Canada – Angie Brevetti

Top Producer Dominican Republic- Canada – Joanne Moore

Top Producer Jamaica – Canada – Micaela McFarquhar

Top Wedding Agent – Canada – Micaela McFarquhar

As well, TTAND agent Micaela McFarquhar was a finalist in the Top Producer Ontario and Top Selling Agent Canada categories.

“We are very proud to be named Top Selling Agency in Canada for Playa,” said TTAND CEO Flemming Friisdahl. “We are also very proud of several of our agent partners who also won Playa awards. This is an illustration of our commitment to our suppliers and our Win. Win. Win approach.”

Redtag.ca

Redtag.ca is celebrating its 20th anniversary this month. “At redtag.ca, we believe in making a difference in the lives of Canadians by making travel dreams a reality,” added Tanious. “Our 20th anniversary is a testament to the strength and support of our customers. We look forward to continuing to innovate and provide exceptional service for the next 20 years and beyond.” Redtag.ca is fully owned and operated by H.I.S. Canada Travel Inc.

First in Service Travel (F1S)

 First in Service Travel (F1S) opened an office in the United Kingdom on July 1. Fernando Gonzalez, CEO of First in Service Travel, stated: “We are incredibly excited to bring the F1S brand to the UK. Our goal is to provide unparalleled support to travel advisors across various specialties, ensuring they have the tools and resources needed to excel. The UK market presents a unique opportunity, and we look forward to building strong relationships with travel professionals here.”

First in Service was established in 1991 and has since grown into a global organization with offices across the US, Canada, Colombia, Mexico, Spain, and now the UK.

Appointments

• Travel Leaders Network: Cynthia Landry has joined TLN’s Canadian team as the new Inside Sales Coordinator. She will assist the sales team with the overall goal of increasing volume, meeting the needs of the Canadian membership. An accomplished sales, marketing and business development professional with over 15 years of experience in customer service, working in sales and operations in the financial and travel and tourism industries. Landry joins TLN from the supplier side of the travel industry having worked as Sales Manager Eastern Canada at Rocky Mountaineer for over eight years.
• TRAVELSAVERS CANADA: Sandra Joaquim has been named Director, Supplier Marketing, at the same time promoting Clare Burke to the North American role of Director, Education and Training. “The timing is right to expand our leadership team since we experienced such significant growth last year,” said Jane Clementino, Sr. VP and GM TRAVELSAVERS Canada. “We’ve had several new agencies join our consortium this year so it’s important to maintain our premium level of service and support.” Joaquim will play an integral role in managing the communications for 100 suppliers for annual marketing and advertising campaigns across all channels. She has previously served as Sr. Director for Red Label Vacations. Burke transitions from Manager of Marketing into her new position.
• Travel Edge Network: A new Sr. VP has been named at the Travel Edge Network. Kevin O’Brienwas most recently at WeightWatchers from 2017 to ‘23 serving in several roles, including President & GM, WW Canada. In 2022, he took on leadership of all markets outside of North America as Head of International Markets and then as Head of Commercial Growth and Customer Operations. In his new role at TEN, he will lead the luxury host agency, which comprises more than 1,800 independent contractors (ICs) and affiliate ICs, as well as 92 affiliate agencies.