TORONTO — WestJet and WestJet Vacations welcomed travel agents and travel industry partners to the fourth annual WestJet 2016 Travel Partner Awards, held last night in Toronto at the Four Seasons Hotel.

Over 200 guests attended the cocktail party and gala, toasting their relationship with a WestJet Platinum cocktail – a mix of prosecco, grapefruit juice and blue curacao – which resembled the company’s trademark shade of blue, before a lavish dinner in the sparkling Aria Ballroom.

WestJet’s Vice-President of Sales, Lyell Farquharson officially welcomed attendees and explained that the awards were “a way to recognize our partners in front of their peers. Many of our partners are growing along with us, and it’s great to see us growing together.”

Hosted by WestJetters Tim Paul (Manager, Sales Strategy and Planning) and Matt Djorsev (Business Development), 13 awards were handed out based on sales criteria of the past year by travel partners.

Interspersed with ticket giveaways to WestJet destinations and prizes from sponsors AMResorts, Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc., and Bahia Principe Hotels and Resorts, hosts Tim and Matt entertained the crowd with jokes and a few self-deprecating comments, such as recent news that a WestJet airplane had to be diverted to Greenland last week.

Farquharson and Jane Clementino, WestJet’s Director of Agency Sales, handed out the following awards:

Top Growth Canadian Tour Operator Sales – Voyzant Inc.

Top Online Agency – Expedia.ca

Top Group Incentive Convention Sales – Uniglobe Travel

Top Sales Barbados – Transat Travel Travel Distribution Centre

Top US Agency – Travel Leaders

WestJet Encore Top Sales – American Express Global Business Travel

Top Sales AM Resorts – Ensemble Travel Group

WestJet Vacations Top Guest Count Growth – Redtag.ca

WestJet Vacations Top Revenue Growth – Flight Centre Travel Group

Top Sales Bahia Principe Hotels & Resorts – Flight Centre Travel Group

Top Growth Travel Management Company – HRG

Top Guest Count Growth – Travel Nation Canada

Top Revenue Growth – Merit Travel

WestJet Airlines Ltd. Is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2016 and was recognized by the Peter B. Gustavason School of Business at the University of Victoria as Canada’s most trusted airline this month.