TORONTO — Travel agents are getting a much-deserved and very big “thank you” from industry partners in celebration of Travel Agent Day, May 2. The best news? Many suppliers are kicking off their agent appreciation incentives early and running them all month long.

Here’s a look at the latest Travel Agent Day promotions. More will be added as they come in today and tomorrow.

GLOBUS
Agents can win one of two free fam spots with the new Travel Agent Month booking incentive kicking off today, May 1, with the Globus family of brands.

Kim Clarke, Director of Sales for the Globus family of brands, says the company is dedicating the month of May to travel agents. Every booking made in May with any of the Globus family brands (Globus, Cosmos, Monograms and Avalon Waterways) instantly becomes a ballot, says Clarke.

The first randomly-drawn entry will win the choice of a Globus nine-day Bavarian Highlights fam departing Oct. 28, or a Cosmos nine-day Dublin to London fam departing Oct. 14.

The second winner will receive a spot on the remaining trip. Winners will be announced the first week of June. For more details see agentlingo.ca.

SUNWING
Sunwing is offering agents triple the STAR Agent Reward Points that convert to cash on Sunwing Experiences bookings for the month of May. This is the first time Sunwing is offering commission and reward points on excursions as stand-alone purchases, whether they are added on to an existing Sunwing vacation package or to supplement a customer’s existing itinerary with another travel provider.

The promotion also includes savings of up to 30% on select excursions applicable to departures from May 1 to Oct. 31. There are also value-added deals for group bookings where private excursions are available for groups with a minimum of 12 adults and additional discounts for larger groups where the 21st adult is free.

Agents will earn a ballot each time they make an excursion booking and that ballot will go towards a daily draw for the chance to win an excursion for two. A total of 30 excursions will be given throughout the month.

All Sunwing Experiences are hand-selected by local experts and vetted for value, quality and safety. Clients can also benefit from the added convenience and cost savings of pre-paying in Canadian dollars. For more information see sunwingagents.ca.

WESTJET
WestJet has hinted at a special offer for travel agents, which will be announced tomorrow on Travel Agent Day.

The announcement marks the beginning of Travel Agent Appreciation Month at WestJet, an annual celebration of the airline’s travel partners.

“At WestJet, we dedicate the month of May to recognizing our partners for their commitment to providing positive travel experiences for our mutual clients,” said Jane Clementino, WestJet Director, Agency Sales.

Clementino also noted that Travel Agent Appreciation Month coincides with the airline’s annual spring Travel Trade Expos, “which give us the opportunity to thank them for their support face to face.” She adds: “There are so many exciting things to come as WestJet grows into a global carrier, and we’re looking forward to navigating this future alongside our travel partners.”

WestJet says it will share details about its travel agent special offer on May 2.

“On behalf of the Agency Sales team and all of us at WestJet, thank you to the travel agency community for being part of the WestJet family,” said Clementino.

CLUB MED
Club Med is giving back “to the pillars of the travel industry” with an extended Travel Agent Appreciation Month. The newly launched ‘Agent Calendar’ is a dedicated website featuring daily goals for agents to complete for a chance to win a grand prize of 30,000 Great Agent points, the equivalent to a five-night stay in one of Club Med’s North American resorts.

The calendar will follow the same concept as an Advent calendar, prompting daily tasks to complete from May 1-31. As there are no time limits or deadlines to play, agents can easily go back through days they may have missed and play in past challenges.

Each week, the most active participants earn the chance to win a spot on the Travel Agent Advisory Board and use their experience and professional knowledge of travel industry trends to further Club Med’s developments. This includes helping to craft the vision for Club Med’s first Canadian resort, set to open in Charlevoix, Quebec in December 2020. At the end of the month, the agents who participated in the most challenges will be entered into the grand prize draw.

“We are so proud to be represented by this group of talented, driven and knowledgeable leaders,” said Jacinda Lowry, National Sales Director, Club Med Canada. “It was only natural that we repay our most trusted partners in a big way and thank them for their continued contributions to our success.”

For more information on Club Med’s Travel Agent Month and the Agent Calendar, go to en.clubmedagents.ca/training-tools-benefits/travel-agent-calendar/.