MONTREAL — Air Canada Vacations is reaching out to Independent Travel Advisors directly with the launch of a new dedicated support program.
Called ACV@Home, the program is designed to provide assistance, creative tools and training for travel professionals working from home. According to Nino Montagnese, Vice President at Air Canada Vacations, it was built with continuous feedback and collaboration from key agencies to ensure that the platform met the specific needs of the at-home community.
“Remaining connected and top of mind for at-home travel professionals is of utmost importance. After planning and talking to Independent Travel Advisors, we are proud to have elaborated a program that can accommodate this growing niche market with select key host agencies,” said Montagnese.
To support the ACV@Home program, Krista Rothfuchs has been appointed Area Sales Manager for Independent Advisors. Having worked with Independent advisors for many years, she will be responsible for maintaining the relationships with these accounts and will work on establishing growth strategies for ACV’s diverse product portfolio.
Said Rothfuchs: “The ACV@Home program was created to ensure our Independent Travel Advisor community feels supported, acknowledged and wholly confident in using Air Canada Vacations as their preferred tour operator. We’ll be working alongside them to deliver the tools they need to help them be individually successful, both in English and in French.”
Host agencies that are part of the ACV@Home Program will be providing their networks with further contact details and information on the program.
Flemming Friisdahl, President at The Travel Agent Next Door said that he is “so happy” to see Air Canada Vacations develop a dedicated independent consultant program, “with the landscape changing and Independent Travel Advisors becoming more important.”
Shannon Smith, VP of Training at TravelOnly Inc., also added: “The ACV@Home program is a creative and innovative solution to support the business of at-home travel professionals. Air Canada Vacations has started to close the gaps by adapting the traditional sales role to service the unique requirements of home-based networks across the country.”
MASTERCLASS TRAINING PROGRAM
In addition, Air Canada Vacations has implemented its first-ever Masterclass Training program that offers a number of brief yet informative tutorials on its products.
New and experienced advisors alike will learn key differentiators of the tour operators via modules. Once modules are completed, Independent advisors will gain a certificate and a ‘Passport to Benefits’ savings booklet that includes several exclusive rewards.
VIRTUAL AWARDS CEREMONY
In another first for the tour operator, Air Canada Vacations will also be launching an upcoming virtual awards ceremony called ‘Simply the Best Awards’ to recognize and reward this year’s top supporting agents. The ceremony will be held on Feb. 21, 2023. Invitations will be sent out to participating ACV@Home agencies.
