Marie Anne McRae, VP Strategic Partnerships;Maurizio Mazzola, Sales Manager, Greater Toronto Area;
Liesa Bissett, Product Development Manager Europe; Jeff Element, President, Travel Corporation; Nicole McCallum, National Marketing Manager;Wolf Paunic, V.P. of Sales for Trafalgar; Katherine Chin, PR and Digital Media Specialist;
Rares Dumitru, Sales Manager, Central and Eastern Ontario
Wolf and Liesa
Guests enjoying a delicious meal and good company
Yum!
Ciao wine bar in Toronto's posh Yorkville neighbourhood was the ideal setting for Trafalgar to host its recent Be My Guest Dining Experience for a select group of travel partners. Guests tucked in to the cozy setting to enjoy a delicious meal and learn about what's new from Trafalgar for Europe & Britain in 2015.
"We love this restaurant because it reflects our philosophy of how we like to treat our guests. Being together, shared experiences, share a meal and make the best of it," said Wolf Paunic, V.P. Sales for Trafalgar.
With over 80 different programs in Europe already, you may have thought that would be plenty with little room for more, but think again. In 2015, Trafalgar has added 14 new itineraries and 28 new Insider Experiences, bringing the total Insider Experience portfolio to 1,118.
It was a pleasure to meet with Liesa Bissett, Product Development Manager for Europe, who was in town from the U.K. to speak about some of the new Insider Experiences. Having previously worked as a Travel Director with Trafalgar for many years, Bissett has the opportunity now to create the product that she wants travellers to experience based on the destinations she feels passionately about - an enviable job indeed. Her experience also gives her an acute understanding of what it takes to give the client the best experience possible. This year, all 250 Travel Directors in Europe have gone through retraining to become true insiders of Europe and to be equipped to give information that really allows the guests to immerse themselves in a destination.
Although Italy remains the #1 destination and a specialty for Trafalgar, its new focus for 2015 is Ireland, thanks in part to increased lift from Canada and the acquisition of Brendan Vacations by The Travel Corporation. 15 different programs will allow for greater exploration of the country. And travellers will not want to miss the unique opportunity to explore and stay at the historic and luxurious Ashford Castle which is owned by Trav Corp's Red Carnation Hotels.
2015 will also offer more choice. Choice not only in destinations that clients decide to travel to, but more choice in trip styles, choice in shared experiences, and choice of optional experiences allowing clients to explore their own interests. Free time has been factored in as well.
Also new for 2015 is some good news for single travellers. Having heard the feedback from retail partners and clients that single travellers felt penalized for having to pay more, Trafalgar has created a portfolio of programs where in some cases the single fee supplement has been completely waved, and for most the fee has been heavily reduced.
Last of the new, but not the least, is Trafalgar's newly launched website. The site shows off a fresh design that is interactive, social media friendly and available on all devices. It includes a lot of user generated content from guests and travel directors, all sharing perspectives on their experiences. Programs are rated by past guests and accommodation ratings from TripAdvisor are on display for all to see, which adds an element of transparency for those considering a trip. The website aims to act as social proof for agents for their clients to see what their peers are saying. Those on twitter can follow #trafalgarinsider for up to the second news and information.
