If buzz is any way to measure success, the noise at Sunwing’s sparkling head office near YYZ on 14MAY indicated a hugely-successful launch to staff and the media. The celebration marked the introduction of WestJet Vacations Québec, the company’s new dedicated Quebec division. With departures starting in November, there will be packages to all-inclusive resorts in 20 destinations served by 13 airports in the Caribbean, Mexico and Central America, including the new airport at Tulum, Mexico (TQO). Gateway airports are YUL, YQB and YBG (Saguenay Bagotville), and featured resort chains include Pahia Principe and the Barceló Group.
“Our goal remains to be the fastest-growing vacation provider in Canada,” CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech told the group. “We have a real can-do attitude and are so proud of this accomplishment.”
To make the offer even more interesting to agents, the operator is offering a bonus 2% commission (over the regular 8%) at source for sales to 31 July this year.
» Good to know: Sunwing will continue to operate vacation packages from the same 3 gateways in Quebec this winter.
(Readers who are interested in travel industry archaeology will recall that Sunwing has had a presence in the Québec market for 18 years. Some time ago, Sunwing merged with Signature Vacations which itself had had morphed from the ITH Group which, way back in the ‘80s, included a Montreal-based tour operator called Sol-Vac.)
“This is a huge opportunity for us,” Deana Murphy, Sunwing’s Vice-President of Sales and Business Development told Open Jaw. And every employee Open Jaw spoke with – and all were invited to the launch, not just management – were very pumped and excited about the new program, which is now open for sale.
Find out more about the evolving WestJet/Sunwing integration as Open Jaw’s Nina Slawek interviews CEO of the WestJet Group Alexis von Hoensbroech here.
