TORONTO — As many as 400 advisors have tuned in for Direct Travel/Vision Travel’s Town Halls, held weekly since March as a means to connect during months of isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cathy Wasserman, an Independent Travel Advisor with Vision Travel, says she has attended all the Town Halls and found the sessions helped her stay connected during these difficult times.

The 90-minute Zoom sessions have covered everything from insurance to airline updates to government support to supplier stability.

Upcoming topics include service fees and how to implement them, plus a focus on hotels offering special amenities unique to Direct/Vision clients.

Brian Robertson

Brian Robertson, president of Direct Travel/Vision Travel in Western Canada, said the decision to ramp up internal communications by way of Town Hall meetings came from a desire to help agents connect with other agents and with head office.

“Independent travel advisors especially tell us how pleased and relieved they are to participate in these events,” says Robertson. “We believe they must feel in the loop and are encouraging all advisors to use this time to communicate with clients while enhancing their overall knowledge as they take advantage of government programs available.”

Robertson adds that Direct / Vision Travel’s program for home-based agents is gearing up for expansion later this year.

Vision Travel is the largest Virtuoso agency in Canada and has been recognized for two years running for top year over year growth.

“One of the sectors predicted to come back strongly is luxury travel and we are doing our utmost to help our advisors increase their knowledge in this important niche,” says Robertson.