The Transat team, with Dan Prior, Sales Manager for Ontario & Atlantic Canada in the middle of the back row.
Mary Giancoulas, Cruise & Vacation Consultant with Expedia Cruise Ship Centers, holds up the new Sun & Fun brochure.
Kerry Sullivan (blue blazer), Canada representative with Visit Orlando, speaks with an agent.
The Cuba Tourist Board's Nieves Ricardo (left) and Eloy Govea, Director of the board.
Sal Buccellato, National Accounts Director (left) and Gavin Jimenez, National Accounts Manager with Bahia Principe Hotels and Resorts.
Transat flight crew members Sheri Flaro-Tegelaar (left) and Nicole Felix.
Travel agents selling Transat were "winterized" at the launch of the operator's Sun & Fun Brochure yesterday evening, as they got primed and prepped on what's to come in the winter season.
Transat Product Showcase 2019-2020, held at the Pearson Convention Centre, featured a trade show floor with more than 60 exhibitors where some 500 travel agents took advantage of the opportunity to meet and mingle with Transat's supplier partners to find out what's happening with new product.
"We're very excited for the upcoming season and no matter what happens, clients can be confident to be travelling with Transat," said Dan Prior, Sales Manager for Ontario & Atlantic Canada with Transat, reassuring both agents and customers that they can book Transat with confidence despite a potential acquisition by Air Canada, announced 16MAY.
The evening's breakout sessions were a key part of the event, where Transat's 11 Silver Sponsors and one Gold Sponsor hosted product-focused presentations. For the first time this year, there was a "hangar" section focused exclusively on Transat products.
Destinations
New for the 2019 winter season are flights between Vancouver and Florida, Vancouver and Mexico, and Montreal and New Orleans.
"With New Orleans, there is some land product there but mainly, it's about new cruise package programs that are departing out of New Orleans," says Prior.
The cruise package program –an air, transfers and cruise bundle -- continues to grow with new itineraries with Transat's cruise partners MSC, Norwegian and Carnival.
"It's built as a package and has amazing price points and makes it a really easy sell for agents rather than having to piece things together for themselves," says Prior.
But Sun & Fun is more than just about the South, stresses Prior. Winter Europe is also in the new brochure.
"We still offer a limited, scaled down flight program into Europe throughout the winter, mainly to Spain and Portugal – Lisbon, Porto and the Algarve in Portugal, and Costa del Sol in Spain," he says.
Collections
Transat has continued to add properties to its Sun Collections Program, says Prior. The four Transat Sun Collections – Luxury, Distinction, Solo and Family – are selections of resorts that come with added amenities and benefits. For example, the Solo Collection waives the single supplement, while Distinction offers private direct transfers.
Immersive Accommodations
Working to keep agents competitive with emerging options, Transat has added 22 condo apartments into the winter program.
"We are giving agents an opportunity to still offer those clients who do not want all-inclusive, who want to get a little more immersed in a destination, for example staying in a central area like Playa del Carmen, going out to buy their own groceries, and staying in a studio apartment with a kitchenette," says Prior.
The condo-style apartment is also popular with longer-stay clients, he adds.
The goal is to give the agent a tool to hook a client who is shopping online or using services like Airbnb.
If You Missed It…
Agents who missed the Transat Product Showcase or who are looking for more information can visit TransatAgentDirect.com, the operator's one-stop-shop where they’ll find a PDF version of the brochure, tips and tools, flyers, flight schedules, promotions and more.
Alternatively, agents can reach out to their BDR for support.
Anna Kroupina Journalist
Anna is OJ's newest member and she joins the team as a writer/reporter. She co-writes the daily news and covers events. Although she's new to the industry, pursuing a career path in travel/tourism has been a goal since her first family road trip to the Florida Keys sparked a desire to discover the world and this exhilarating, fast-paced industry.
