TORONTO — What a year it’s been – both for the travel industry, and for Travelweek.
After two straight years of pandemic shutdowns – followed by another year of gradually building momentum, and then flat-out over-the-top demand for travel, complete with air travel pandemonium – the travel industry finally got a solid 12-month stretch of steady demand coupled with a consistently great travel experience for clients.
Canadians were travelling in droves, and miracle of miracle, their flights (for the most part) operated as scheduled and on time. Start-ups abounded, from airlines to cruise lines. Finally, at long last, travel and working in the travel industry was fun again.
CELEBRATORY MOOD
Here at Travelweek, a celebratory mood was also in the air as we celebrated 50 years in the business.
The festivities got underway in March 2023 with the launch of our ‘It Happened This Week’ contest.
Every week for 10 months, we quizzed the industry on notable happenings from the past 50 years, from commission caps and cuts, to the short-lived Roots Air, Onex’s acquisition of WestJet, the Y2K scare, the pandemic, 9-11, the end of Canada 3000 and many more.
Travelweek gave away more than $2,000 with the contest, as 40+ winners from across Canada – and even one from the U.S. – received $50 Amazon gift cards for their knowledge of travel industry history. We appreciate everyone’s participation. We had fun with the contest and we hope you did too!
Next up, our special 50th anniversary issue of Travelweek on April 13 featured a lead story on how Travelweek got its start, plus feedback from three of Travelweek’s four editors.
Travelweek’s history goes back to 1973, when the publication was still called CTM Weekly Bulletin. Founder and first editor Wayne Lahtinen, soon alongside associate publisher and managing editor Paul Vickers, made it his mission to keep Canada’s travel trade informed with the latest industry news (and industry rumours too, to the delight of readers).
Our 50th anniversary issue also featured a special 12-page section full of fun photos from all six of Travelweek’s decades – from the 1970s right through to the 2020s. See the issue here, or check out the Decades pages on Travelweek.ca: 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s and 2020s.
PARTY TIME
A golden anniversary needs a party, and that’s exactly what the industry got with Travelweek’s rooftop get-together on June 28, 2023.
The who’s who of attendees at the summer gathering included reps and execs from airlines, tour operators, tourism boards, cruise lines, travel retailers and more.
Addressing the crowd, Travelweek’s publisher, Devin Kinasz, thanked Travelweek’s partners, and underlined Travelweek’s core mission: “Here at Travelweek we put a lot of effort into giving travel advisors the information they need, and that has led us to where we are today: a trusted voice, a leader in the industry. There have been a lot of ups and downs in the industry over the decades, but we always go back to our core strengths: innovation, excellence and serving our clients and also serving our travel agent readers.”
Travelweek’s Editor, Kathryn Folliott, also thanked attendees for their partnership. “You have worked with us for years, often decades,” she said. “On the editorial side, thank you for trusting us with your stories. The news and insights and feedback that you share with us is invaluable. You love this industry, and we love it too.”
INSPIRING INTERVIEWS
Throughout this celebration year, Travelweek also showcased ‘TW 50’ interviews with travel industry movers and shakers, plus memories from the past five decades shared by travel advisors.
The end of one year – and the start of another – is a time of reflection.
In that spirit, here’s a sampling of the insights and inspiration from our ‘TW 50’ interviews in 2023, more than 30 in all.
Have a look …
“I came to understand that travel is a real and meaningful community where colleagues and friends are one and the same. It’s one of the many reasons why I love the industry so much.”
Denise Heffron, Managing Director-Commercial, Uplift
“What has remained consistent pre- and post-acquisition is our steadfast commitment to our purpose of passionate people making vacation dreams come true. That is what drives us every day.”
Andrew Dawson, COO, Sunwing Travel Group & President of Tour Operations
“When I was a travel agent, I thought I had one of the most interesting and rewarding careers of all my friends and family.”
Wendy Paradis, President, ACTA
“The big constant in the Canadian travel industry is mom-and-pop, family-run businesses, and especially local travel agencies. They will always be the backbone of the travel industry.”
Flemming Friisdahl, Founder and CEO, The Travel Agent Next Door
“I am so proud to be part of this industry. We are a team of tough, determined, travel-loving lunatics. That’s what keeps us going and ready to face anything!”
Lesley Keyter, Founder, The Travel Lady Agency / South Travel Inc.
“I can’t think of another industry that is so susceptible to external events. Anytime there is a natural disaster, political unrest, acts of war, health issues like the pandemic, the travel industry is immediately impacted. But, every single time, the industry comes roaring back with innovative and clever offerings.”
Dorian Werda, TICO’s Registrar & Chief Operating Officer
“We get to meet many people in our business and even competitors are friends. We all help each other. We get to meet and become friends with suppliers’ representatives and we can work as independents, however, we never feel like we’re not part of a team. Even with some stressful days, it is still the best career in the world.”
Gary Rams, Crowfoot Travel Solutions
“Flying is meant to be enjoyable and we want all of our passengers to feel that way.”
Michael Deluce, President, Porter Airlines
“I had already been charging service fees to issue air tickets, but after COVID, clients realized (and more importantly I realized) the value that a professional travel advisor brings to their clientele.”
Judith Coates, Founder, Wired for Travel
“The market has changed and the industry must too. We’re exclusively digital now for one thing. No more boxes of brochures. Travellers are longing for adventure but much more conscious of their impacts.”
Brett Walker, GM, International Operations, Collette
“The opportunity to support our travel advisors is definitely the most rewarding part of my job. They are the heart of our business, and their hard work and dedication never cease to amaze me.”
Zeina Gedeon, President and CEO, Trevello Travel Group
“As a businessman, my proudest memories have been slaying the many dragons that attacked our industry over the years. In our dynamic worldwide industry I have met many interesting and inspiring characters and made many friends for life. I have never been bored and thank my lucky stars that I chose a career in travel and gave up the opportunity to be an economist in the Reserve Bank of Australia.”
“I am constantly learning. Not only do I organize memorable trips for my clients, but in doing my research I am learning something new every day.”
Tony Santelli, senior travel advisor, FunRexAlcyon Travel
“Social [media] and search really changed how people search and how they connect with brands. It created the greatest opportunities for brands and companies, as no matter how small or large they were they had the same free tools to create intimate relationships with customers.”
Bruce Poon Tip, Founder, G Adventures
“I grew up in a family where dinner conversations involved topics like shoulder season and booking windows. Weekends were spent scouting for new hotels in our beautiful Caribbean and listening intently to my father’s every word. He was indeed my greatest teacher.”
Adam Stewart, Executive Chairman, Sandals Resorts International
Thanks for helping us celebrate Travelweek’s 50th anniversary in 2023, and cheers to a great year ahead in 2024!
