TORONTO — Suppliers are celebrating travel advisors this Travel Agent Day with contests, giveaways, booking incentives and much more.
From cruise lines and resort companies to tour operators and airlines, supplier partners are saying thank you to their travel agent communities both with words of gratitude, and special new perks.
Here’s a look at Travel Agent Day promotions now underway …
ACTA
Travel advisors are encouraged to visit ACTA’s social media channels (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn) or check out acta.ca/travelagentday to learn how ACTA is celebrating Travel Agent Day and for a chance to win prizes, courtesy of Air Canada and Sandals Resorts. More of Travelweek’s coverage about ACTA’s TA Day campaign is here.
AMR COLLECTION
AMR Collection’s ‘Amazing May’ celebration is now underway, with a variety of incentives that include a one million AMRewards points giveaway, reduced rates on AMRewards points stays, special Master Agent rates, tour operator incentives, and upskilling sessions featuring Secrets Moxché Playa del Carmen (May 5) and Dreams Karibana Cartagena Golf & Spa Resort (May 26). Registration for the webinars is available on AMRAgents.com.
Participating agents can register all bookings accumulated through May in AMRewards for the opportunity to attend the 2022 Amazing Agents Celebration, taking place Dec. 1 – 4, 2022 at Dreams Macao Beach Punta Cana. To be considered for this top-level event, all bookings from July 1, 2021, through July 11, 2022, for travel by Dec. 31, 2022, must be registered at AMRewards.com by July 11, 2022. For more information, details on this campaign, or to sign up for the webinars, agents can visit AMRAgents.com or contact their local BDM.
ATLAS OCEAN VOYAGES
Atlas Ocean Voyages is offering travel advisors $500 bonus commission for any new deposited booking on World Navigator with booking code APPRECIATION. To claim the bonus commission, bookings need to be aboard World Navigator sailings departing between June 2022 and November 2022. Deposits must be paid by May 31, 2022. All Canadian and U.S. travel advisors are welcome to take part. For details see AtlasOceanVoyages.com and click on Travel Advisors.
CLUB MED
From May 4 through June 1, 2022, Club Med’s travel advisor partners are invited to participate every week in fun challenges via its dedicated Facebook group for Canadian travel advisors, Club Med Samantha, Amazing You, administered by Club Med BDM Samantha Gillingham.
The activities will be posted every Wednesday and agents will have until the following Tuesday to complete the challenge. Each week, the agents participating in the challenge will have a chance to win gift cards, Club Med goodies or free stays for two people. Every Wednesday, the winner from the previous week’s challenge will be announced.
In addition to the weekly challenge, a month-long challenge will also be announced. The winner of this month-long challenge will be rewarded with a big prize: four nights for two people in the Exclusive Collection Space of the new Club Med Québec Charlevoix. The Facebook page can be found here.
COLLETTE
With Collette, agents will earn $50 toward the ‘Travel Advisor Appreciation Booking Incentive’ program by securing two or more bookings for travel in 2022. The top three agents who secure the most bookings in May will also earn more: $1,000 for first place; $750 for second place; $500 for third place. All bookings must be for travel in 2022.
And with Collette’s advanced commission program, agents will also receive a portion of the full commission amount based on type of booking. Plus, Collette does not recall the advanced commission payments if a client chooses to cancel.
“On behalf of the entire team, we want to thank the dedicated travel advisors for their hard work and perseverance over the past year.” said Jaclyn Leibl-Cote, President and Chief Brand Officer of Collette. “These incentives programs are designed to reward travel advisors during a month-long celebration.”
EXODUS TRAVELS
In honor of Travel Agent Appreciation Month, Exodus Travels is thanking ‘Un-Bee-lievable’ agents with the opportunity to make a difference with their bookings. For every booking made in the month of May, the company will make a donation in the agent’s name to its partners at Baraka in Zambia to install bee hives at the Exodus-sponsored Learning Centre. The Learning Centre will receive around 15,000 child visits this year. The hives are used to educate local children on the environmental benefits of bees and how to use the honey as a nutrition source. Exodus notes that most of Centre’s attendees come from extreme poverty where malnutrition is an ongoing issue. “We thank you sincerely for your support and look forward to an exciting year of adventures ahead!” says Exodus.
GATEWAYS INTERNATIONAL
Gateways International is giving away three $50 Petro-Canada gas cards to travel agents across Canada. To enter to win, agents are asked to like Gateways International on Instagram and tag @gatewaysinternational in a post letting the company know why they love working with the Gateways International team. Three random winners will be selected today, May 4.
“Gatways International Tailor-made Tours would like to thank the thousands of travel agents we have worked with over the last 36 years. We simply can’t do what we love to do without you!” says the company.
JAMAICA TOURIST BOARD
The Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) is thanking loyal travel advisors for all of their hard work with a coffee break this week. Starting at 12 p.m. ET on Wednesday, May 4, agents are invited to sign up for a ‘Coffee on Jamaica’ card at the JTB’s Maple Leaf Room page. The first 200 applicants will receive a $10 Tim Hortons e-card. Additionally, any Jamaica Travel Specialist member that logs Jamaica bookings between May 4 through 10 will earn an automatic additional 3,000 bonus points.
RESORTS OF ONTARIO
Resorts of Ontario’s Travel Trade Appreciation Month is now underway. Travel advisors can take advantage of a special agent rate of $89 per room, per night, double occupancy for stays during May 2022. Taxes are extra. Accommodation is subject to availability and some conditions apply. To order your Great Escapes Guide email escapes@resortsofontario.com or go to envoynetworks.ca.
RIVIERA RIVER CRUISES
Riviera River Cruises has a week-long incentive that includes gift cards for travel advisors, and drinks packages for their clients. During the week of May 2-6, advisors will receive a US$200 gift card and their clients will receive a free drinks package for every cabin booked on a 2022 European river cruise. The incentive is available for any cabin or suite, including cabins with no single supplement and cabins on solo traveller departures; group bookings excluded. Riviera River Cruises is the only European river cruise line that doesn’t accept bookings directly from consumers. For more information on Riviera River Cruises, call 888-838-8820 or see rivierarivercruises.com.
SANDALS
Unique Vacations Canada Inc.’s high-profile celebration of travel advisors – with full-page ads in today’s Globe and Mail and Toronto Star endorsing travel agents – comes as the company marks Travel Agent Day 2022 with prizes, gifts and incentives for its retail partners. Agents can win prize trips to Sandals Royal Curacao, and take advantage of US$50 in spa credit for Red Lane Spa visits. UVI Canada is also offering cash incentives for resort bookings. More of Travelweek’s coverage about Sandals’ TA Day campaign is here.
SCENIC GROUP
Scenic Group is celebrating Travel Agent Appreciation Month with bonus commissions paid on new bookings made for 2022 and 2023 seasons. In addition, Scenic Group will be giving away five free cruises to advisors, including one on the ultra-luxury Scenic Eclipse, as a way of saying “thank you” for the ongoing support.
Agents who make a new booking through the online agent portal ExpressBook system by June 30, 2022 will receive 5% bonus commission on all Scenic and Emerald Cruises river and ocean cruises; and 2% bonus commission on all Scenic and Emerald Cruises river and ocean cruises.
Scenic Group is also giving away five free cruises across Scenic and Emerald Cruises brands. The cruises up for grabs are: two free, eight-day river cruises for two in Europe or SE Asia on Scenic; two free, eight-day river cruises for two in Europe or SE Asia on Emerald Cruises; and one free ‘Iconic West Coast Experience’ cruise for two on Scenic Eclipse.
For every booking made using ExpressBook, agents will receive an entry to win a free cruise on the line they made the booking on. To be entered to win a Scenic or Emerald Cruises river cruise, advisors will receive one entry per river cruise booking made. To be entered to win the Scenic Eclipse Iconic West Coast Experience cruise, entries will vary based on itineraries booked: one entry for Alaska, Antarctica and the Med voyages booked, two entries for Arctic voyages booked, and three entries for West Coast U.S. and South America voyages booked.
Bonus commissions are applicable to all Europe and Southeast Asia river cruises across both brands, Scenic Eclipse cruises and Emerald Cruises yacht cruise bookings. Rebookings using Future Travel Credits are also valid for bonus commissions.
SUNWING
Sunwing is offering agents double the STAR Agent Rewards Points on all Sunwing vacation packages booked on May 4, 2022, for travel up to April 30, 2023.
“From all of us at Sunwing, we wish the entire agent community a wonderful Travel Agent Appreciation Day! We are incredibly grateful for our agency partners, whose dedication and passion for making our mutual customers’ vacation dreams come true is evident every day,” says the tour operator.
TRANSAT
Transat is raffling off a series of prizes, to thank travel agents for their hard work and to celebrate Travel Agent Week. By booking with Transat May 2 – 6, travel agents are automatically entered into the draw. Every day from May 2 – 6, Transat will give away $200 in Bonbon rewards (for travel agents with a Bonbon number). And at the end of the week, agents can win one of 3 pairs of Economy Class tickets to the Transat destination of their choice. Each eligible booking gets agents one draw entry. “On your marks, get set … book!” says Transat. For contest conditions check out Get Connected.
VIRGIN VOYAGES
Virgin Voyages is celebrating its travel advisors, AKA First Mates, in a month-long ‘Sea of Appreciation’. The cruise line is offering weekly giveaways on SeaCiety, its exclusive online Facebook community for First Mates.
“We have the most incredible partners in our First Mates, and there’s no better way to say thank you than with an entire appreciation month that honors their work and commitment to the Virgin brand. We’ve built an extensive agent community and are always seeking new opportunities to engage with First Mates and welcome new advisors into the program,” says John Diorio, Virgin Voyages’ VP of North American Sales.
To sign up to be a First Mate or to register for Seacademy check out FirstMates.com.
WESTJET
WestJet is kicking off its Travel Agent Day celebrations with the month-long launch of its Travel Agent Appreciation Month Giveaway. The giveaway features exclusive discount rates for travel advisors and weekly prize packages. Entry dates for the prize destinations vary: Europe (May 2 – 8); Canada (May 9 – 15); U.S. (May 16 – 22) and Mexico (May 23 – 30). A total of eight prize packages are up for grabs. The contest is open until May 30 and agents are asked to check out westjettravelagents.com/thank-you for more details.
“We know these past few years have been challenging for our trade partners,” said Chuck Crowder, VP, Contact Centre, Sales, Distributions and WestJet Vacations. “Our partners have been at the forefront of travel, providing their expertise and planning experiences for their clients. We are beyond grateful for their continued support and believe it’s time for them to get away and love where they’re going.”
