BURLINGTON, ON — Romantic Planet Vacations officially opened its doors in Ontario and announced a new outside agent program at a grand opening celebration on Wednesday.
The company, headquartered in Calgary since 2004, has expanded operations to better serve the Ontario market. “We chose Burlington because we found a great spot right on the lake,” said president Laurie Keith. It’s also a halfway point between Toronto and Hamilton (as well as the Niagara region).
As its name suggests, Romantic Planet specializes in weddings, honeymoons and romantic holidays, though Keith says destination weddings make up 80 to 90% of the business.
The company has also created a new outside agent program and is looking to expand throughout Canada through a team of independent contractors. “We offer full support, training, marketing, leads and a fully automated and customized group booking system found nowhere else in the industry,” said Keith.
“It really is the perfect opportunity for any agent who wants to specialize in destination weddings and honeymoons, and work from home,” she said. “They just need to contact me if they’re interested.”
While Keith says the most popular wedding destinations are Mexico and the Dominican Republic, there are many other options, from St. Lucia and Barbados to Bora Bora, Italy and Thailand. Destination ethnic weddings are also becoming more popular, and more suppliers – including Palace Resorts and Hard Rock Resorts – have comprehensive ethnic wedding packages.
Romantic Planet can also customize destination weddings: one couple wanted to get married underwater in the Cayman Islands, while another couple wanted to get married on safari in Africa. “We’re so niche, we can do that,” said Keith.
“We can also offer wedding packages off-site, too – we can bus the whole wedding group off the resort to a secluded beach or cathedral,” she said. “And we have an on-staff wedding planner (to help with the details).”
In addition to launching a new location, Romantic Planet Vacations attends 14 bridal shows across Canada and puts on its own show, the Romance Travel Show, every winter. For more information, visit romanticplanet.ca.
