CANCUN — With pomp, circumstance and a blast from the glitter cannon, Karisma Hotels feted their top selling travel agents in style at the 11th annual Gourmet Inclusive Vacation Consultant (GIVC) Awards at the El Dorado Royale Resort in Cancun.
Hosted by Sabrina Filatow, National Sales Director of Karisma Hotels & Resorts, the GIVC Awards began with highlighting the successful year for the company, with awards from AAA, Green Globe Certification and having the resort’s own Le Chique Restaurant named to Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2018.
Canadian agents did their country proud, recognized as top producers of Karisma Hotel brands including El Dorado Spa Resorts, Azul Beach Resorts, Generations Resorts and Nickleodeon Hotels & Resorts Punta Cana as well as being named in every level of the GIVC Diamond Awards. And it was the ladies who stole the spotlight in the top growth by region and top selling agents categories.
Elicia Jump of Uniglobe LGI Travel Alberta was awarded Top Growth by Region for Western Canada, Mandy Delve of Beyond Travel Designers was awarded Top Growth by Region for Central Canada and Martine Phaneuf of Vacances Le Faubourg was awarded Top Growth by Region for Eastern Canada.
Kim Crosby of Sun Lovers Travel was honoured with the Top Selling home-based agent for Canada and Carolyn Menard of Flight Centre was awarded with Top Selling Storefront Agent for Canada. Pamela Walker of Escapes.ca and Sandra Lombardi of RedTag.ca were recognized as Diamond Elite award winners.
Kim Crosby of Sunlovers Travel – Mayan Weddings
Multiple award winners of the night were Kim Crosby, Pamela Walker, Martine Phaneuf, Mandy Delve, Brittney Struck of Flight Centre and Cindy Almond of Romance and Foodie Travel, recognized for their top selling status, especially in destination weddings.
Since 2014 Senor Jose Luiz Martinez and Senora Delores Lopez Lira, owners of El Dorado Spa Resorts, Generations Resorts and Hidden Beach Resort by Karisma have given away US$250,000 in cash to agents as an incentive for increasing their sales, as well as giving away diamonds through a lottery at the annual GIVC Awards.
It was especially poignant this year for attendees to have the owners present, as Senor Martinez had suffered a stroke earlier this year. Despite his health challenges, he had vowed to attend this year’s GIVC Awards and was on hand to give out the cheques, which included Crosby, Phaneuf and Menard, lucky recipients of the cash awards this year.
