By day, ACV’s recent fam to Maui offered up a full and rewarding schedule of authentic experiences, divine meals and, yes, plenty of property tours.

How else to see as many resorts as possible in this idyllic destination, to make the best recommendations to clients?

By night, travel advisors were more than happy to relax, rest up and enjoy Maui’s renowned hospitality at ACV’s two featured resorts on the fam: OUTRIGGER Kāʻanapali Beach Resort, and Royal Lahaina Resort and Bungalows.

Both of these Maui properties are available with Air Canada Vacations, along with a host of others, as ACV Area Sales Manager, Anna Teglasi, tells Travelweek.

Teglasi along with VoX International’s Lora Hamre led the group of 10 travel advisors on the Maui fam, hosted by Hawaiʻi Tourism Canada and ACV. VoX International represents Hawai’i Tourism Canada.

Site inspections of just a sampling of ACV’s resort product in Maui – including Aston at the Maui Banyan; Palms at Wailea Maui by OUTRIGGER; Wailea Beach Resort – Marriott, Maui; Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa; Residence Inn Maui Wailea; Napili Shores Maui by OUTRIGGER; Aston Kāʻanapali Shores; and OUTRIGGER Honua Kai Resort & Spa – gave agents an idea of the range of ACV’s offering on The Valley Isle.

“We offer all sorts of accommodation partners in Maui, from hotels, resorts, villas and condominium options. Condos are particularly a great option for families and as always best booked in advance,” says Teglasi.

ACV also has a wide variety of excursions and activities for Maui-bound clients, plus car rentals “are a must.” ACV’s partner Auto Europe “offers very competitive rates and a robust commission for agents,” adds Teglasi.

And what about flights? Air Canada serves Maui (OGG) out of Vancouver, and Honolulu (HNL) and Kailua/Kona (KOA) as well, plus Honolulu from Toronto. Of course, booking with Air Canada and ACV means Aeroplan points too.

OUTRIGGER KA’ANAPALI BEACH RESORT

Knowing that the ACV fam agents experienced overnights at both OUTRIGGER Kāʻanapali Beach Resort and Royal Lahaina Resort and Bungalow, Travelweek connected with representatives at both properties to get all the latest updates.

Amber Tesoro, Director of Leisure Sales for OUTRIGGER Kāʻanapali Beach Resort, says “our Maui paradise spans 11 lush acres and boasts 432 beautifully appointed rooms. Guests can dive into the island’s rich traditions with daily cultural activities like lei making, hula dancing, Hawai’ian language lessons, ukulele classes, and captivating storytelling.”

The property has a prime location, nestled on world-famous Kāʻanapali Beach.

OUTRIGGER Kāʻanapali Beach Resort is more than a place to stay – it’s a journey into the heart of Hawai’i’s culture, Tesoro tells Travelweek. It’s for good reason the property is known as ‘Maui’s Most Hawai’ian Resort.’

“Every moment here is infused with the spirit of aloha,” says Tesoro. “Our staff, or ‘hosts,’ embody this spirit, creating an atmosphere rich with warmth and tradition.”

Upcoming enhancements include a refresh for the Aouli and Wekiu towers with newly reimagined guestrooms, as well as a a refreshed pool experience, the debut of Voyager 47 Club Lounge and a new fitness centre.

We asked Tesoro about OUTRIGGER Kāʻanapali Beach Resort’s connection with travel advisors.

“Travel advisors are at the heart of our success, and we’re here to celebrate and support them with the OUTRIGGER Expert Advisor Program,” she says.

Agents completing the program can earn rewards, get access to exclusive resources, and take advantage of industry discounts, plus get VIP perks for clients.

Tesoro’s message for Canadian travel advisors? “There’s no better time than now to invite your clients to experience Maui’s vibrant spirit,” she says.

More information is at Outrigger.com.

ROYAL LAHAINA RESORT & BUNGALOWS

Travelweek also connected with Royal Lahaina’s Shauna Nakamura, Senior Regional Director Leisure & Corporate Sales.

Royal Lahaina Resort & Bungalows was among the first of the Kāʻanapali resorts, according to Nakamura. “It is a spacious, stylish, unforgettable place on one of Maui’s best stretches of sand.”

Royal Lahaina’s staff are top-notch, she adds, and imbue the property with a sense of place that visitors to Maui just can’t get enough of. “They work to ensure every guest feel special and have a wonderful experience staying with us. We are a quaint yet spacious full-service resort situated on 27 acres of pristine oceanfront property. We’re a storied beachfront escape, a place to soak up the good things in life and reconnect with what matters most.”

Ready for paddleboard surfing at Outrigger Ka’anapali Beach Resort

Royal Lahaina completed a full renovation of its bungalow accommodations in 2024. The property offers an amazing luau on site, notes Nakamura, plus “our wedding venues and coordinators are some of the best the island has to offer. And we have nightly live music under the stars at The Branches.”

Nakamura says Royal Lahaina recognizes that travel advisors possess in-depth knowledge and understand customer preferences.

“Our Amenity Program is created for our travel advisors,” she says. “When advisors book a guest with us, if they complete the online amenity form, we will provide their guest a welcome amenity personalized from the advisor. Plus, our Free night program allows advisors to earn free night for themselves with every booking they make.”

For more details see RoyalLahaina.com.

MAUI HELICOPTER TOUR

As any travel advisor who’s ever been on a fam knows, the schedule can be packed, but there’s always time for fun.

On the ACV fam, one of the stand-out experiences was a fly-over tour of Maui with Maverick Helicopters.

Participants got a one-of-a-kind Hawaiian landing adventure surrounded by waterfalls. The 40-minute, roundtrip flight along the north coast of Maui featured bird’s-eye views of the famous Jaws Surf Break, Hoʻokipa, Road to Hāna and Jurassic Rock with distant views of Haleakalā, capped by a landing in the Hāna Rainforest. See FlyMaverick.com.

There was also time at Maui Ocean Center, The Aquarium of Hawai’i, the largest living tropical reef aquarium in the western hemisphere. See MauiOceanCenter.com.

To read Travelweek’s interview with Maui Visitors Bureau’s Leanne Pletcher, click here. More information about ACV can be found at vacations.aircanada.com. Hawaii Tourism Canada is represented by VoX International. More destination details can be found at agents.gohawaii.com and gohawaii.com/maui.