Agents navigate the rain forest trek enroute to dinner and product training
Transat's Central & South American beauties:
Miss Panama,
Susan Kooiman; Miss Colombia,
Denisa Stancikova; Miss El Salvador,
Wendy Quintanilla; Miss Honduras,
Meghan Miller & Miss Costa Rica, Charlotte Antill.
Chris Chiang, Maxine Gunderman & Brenda Yeomans chat with agents at the Celebrity Cruises booth
Disney Sales Manager
Jennifer Rayment in a fabulous Minnie Mouse inspired polka dot dress
Stephanie McDonald & Susan Carvalho representing Royal Caribbean International & Azamara Club Cruises
The days of the BIG winter launch are a distant memory for most of us in the travel biz, but Transat is still bringing it to the agents with a strong message about their dual brands’ USPs.
Wednesday’s Transat Holidays/Nolitours Sun Training Academy at the Doubletree by Hilton in Toronto brought home the message of how the they’re differentiating their product and focussing their sales efforts through the travel agent channel.
The 300+ travel agents in attendance were pretty enthusiastic about the opportunities as they scooped up supplier materials from about 60 Transat partners in the big ballroom tradeshow.
Nolitours is ensuring that the trade zone in on their Central & South American destinations specifically and to be sure their guests didn’t miss that point, the agents had to navigate a rain forest trek to transition from the tradeshow to the dining & training venue. The fun walkway of realistic flora, fauna, sound, lighting and mist helped to set the stage for the evening’s grand finale – a Beauty Pageant of 5 country representatives humourously touting their attributes and urging the audience to support them. It really was hard to pick a winner as each bantered with clever host Rico Savé (aka Chad Burnett) as they strutted their stuff. Transat took the diplomatic approach and declared a 5-way tie in awarding each beauty a sparkling winner’s tiara.
Besides the well deserved applause the pageant contestants elicited, the evening’s most popular moments were Commercial Director Nicole Bursey’s reminder that Transat & Nolitours pay commission on the full trip price, including fuel surcharges and fees and that their award winning call centre is fully staffed with knowledgeable reservations experts ready and willing to help travel agents... without keeping them on hold.
The agents also welcomed Director of Group Sales, Joe Couto’s news of the just released Travel Agents Groups Guide for Europe to help them get a jump on that lucrative early booking sector.
New destinations for Transat Holidays this year are Huatulco ex YYZ, YYC and YVR and Los Cabos from YHM (late breaking news that didn’t make the sun brochures). Transat will also offer Cuba, the D.R., Jamaica and CUN from YHM as well as Cuba & Mexico from YXU.
Last year’s new Nolitours’ destinations Roatan & Grenada are also both returning for the coming season.
In all Transat Holidays is offering 16 destinations in 7 countries and Nolitours 20 destinations in 9 countries with exclusive offers and early booking enticements to help focus the clients on their ideal winter sun getaway.
