PUNTA CANA, D.R. — For its first Mega FAM since the pandemic, Air Canada Vacations invited 97 travel advisors to the Dominican Republic – and Profession Voyages was there.

It was a great opportunity for agents to familiarize themselves with the destination and the La Romana cruise terminal.

Air Canada Vacations lived up to its motto – ‘Dream bigger and discover the world’ – with the Mega FAM. Excited travel advisors from Quebec and the Maritimes filled a plane bound for Punta Cana, specially chartered for the occasion by Air Canada. For three days, the group was able to visit different hotels in the region and the La Romana cruise terminal, plus enjoy two gala dinners.

“After the pandemic, we saw many changes in the travel industry. People left. New advisors arrived, working from home with another job on the side. And they don’t necessarily know all of our products. It was therefore important for us to welcome them here to train them,” Ana Paula De Souza, sales director of Air Canada Vacations, explained in an interview.

Cosette Garcia, director of the Dominican Republic Tourism Promotion Office in Montreal, added: “It gave them a more precise idea of the destination, and what could meet the needs of their customers. Especially since there are advisors who have never been here before.”

FOCUS ON LA ROMANA

With the upcoming Dec. 17 launch of Air Canada’s new seasonal flight linking Montreal to La Romana, the Mega FAM provided the opportunity to highlight this beautiful destination, located an hour’s drive from Punta Cana.

La Romana has the particularity of having an airport and a cruise terminal managed by the same private company, the Central Romana Corporation.

Upon arrival at the airport, cruise passengers can benefit from simplified formalities to access the port after getting off the plane. No customs to go through and no baggage to collect on the carousel, the latter being delivered directly to the foot of the ship. Enough to save precious time, even more so since only about 10 minutes separate La Romana airport from the cruise terminal.

“It was essential for us to visit this terminal during Mega FAM,” said Marco Gagnon, ACV’s sales director for Quebec and Ottawa. “It’s a port that deserves to be known and that has great potential for us. And we are pushing a lot for the flights which will leave every Sunday from Montreal, until the end of March.”

In its brochure, ACV offers cruises departing from La Romana aboard Costa Pacifica, and many more.

“We offer 11 hotels in La Romana, with good potential for clients who are regulars in Punta Cana and who want to see something else. They don’t always think of La Romana,” said Gagnon.

During the Mega FAM, agents and advisors were able to visit some of these resorts, including Catalonia Bayahibe and Hilton La Romana, giving access to one of the most beautiful beaches in the region which – it must be said – does not have a sargassum problem.

PUNTA CANA UPDATE

Canada is the second largest market for the D.R., behind the U.S. And Punta Cana still remains a destination of choice for visitors, regardless of their country of origin. “At least 60% of all the tourists we receive come to Punta Cana; it remains the most popular destination in the Dominican Republic,” said Garcia.

“Punta Cana remains in our Top 3. There is Mexico, Punta Cana and Jamaica,” confirmed ACV’s Gagnon. De Souza added: “I am very impressed by the significant investments that have been made in Punta Cana. Most hotels have carried out renovation and modernization work. It’s good for us, for our partners and our mutual customers.”

The Mega FAM gave participating agents an opportunity to visit the facilities of Majestic Colonial, Royalton Bavaro, Paradisus Palma Real and the immense Iberostar Sélection Bavaro Suites complex, housing five hotels, including four for families and one for adults only. “These are hotels that sell a lot and we wanted the agents to see them with their own eyes,” explained Gagnon.

“WE LEARNED A LOT”

“We sell better a product that we have seen,” testified José Barras, external agent for Croisières et Voyage Lapointe. “It’s nice to be able to see a lot of hotels in a short time. We learned a lot and we build our own archives.”

After site inspections during the day, agents on the fam were also able to attend fun evening events.

The sublime Dreams Flora Resort & Spa, which opened its doors in Punta Cana in February 2023, kicked off the fam festivities with a beautiful gala evening with dance shows, cocktails and an all-you-can-eat buffet.

For its part, the Bahia Principe Grand Aquamarine, very popular with families and very popular on the Canadian market, was responsible for organizing the closing evening of this particularly fruitful fam trip.

For more information on ACV packages in the D.R., click here.

Profession Voyages is a French-language news source for the Canadian travel industry and part of The Travelweek Group