Direct Travel recognizes 166 advisors at Direct Access 2026 in Toronto

Direct Travel celebrated the achievements of 166 leisure travel advisors, showcased its new technology platform and revealed the destination of next year's conference during Direct Access 2026, held Oct. 5–7 at the Westin Harbour Castle in Toronto.

The annual gathering welcomed nearly 400 attendees, including more than 200 leisure travel advisors and approximately 85 supplier partners, for three days of networking, industry updates and recognition.

The GEM Awards were a highlight of the conference, with 166 advisors recognized across three performance tiers: 111 Sapphire, 29 Diamond and 26 Ruby.

Ruby, Direct Travel's highest advisor recognition tier, saw a notable increase this year. The number of advisors achieving the designation rose from 17 the previous year to 26 in 2026, an increase of approximately 53 per cent.

The awards were presented by Joelle Goldman, vice-president of host services and luxury hotel programs, and Julie Skinner, senior vice-president of leisure sales.

"We have had a year of solid growth despite its turbulence; our advisors continue to shine for their clients," said Gerard Bellino, president of leisure, in a statement.

Supplier partners recognized

Travel advisors weren't the only ones in the spotlight. Direct Travel also presented five GEM Partner Awards recognizing supplier contributions to its leisure business.

The 2026 winners were:

• G Adventures: Spark Award

• Tauck: Behind-the-Scenes Hero Award

• Globus Family of Brands: Glue Award

• AmaWaterways: Heart of Hospitality Award

• AmaWaterways: Excellence in Partnership Award

AmaWaterways was the only supplier to receive two awards, recognized for both hospitality and partnership.

Advisors get preview of Anywhere

Technology was another focus of the conference, with attendees getting a live demonstration of Anywhere, Direct Travel's new leisure advisor platform, ahead of its planned launch in the second quarter of 2027.

According to the company, the platform is designed to bring different aspects of an advisor's business into one system, simplifying workflows, improving operational efficiency and providing greater visibility into commissions.

"Travel advisors don't all work the same way, and we shouldn't expect them to," said Rebecca Adams, vice-president of data insights and strategy. "With Anywhere, we're creating an experience that adapts to the advisor, rather than asking the advisor to adapt to the technology."

Conference supports Water First

The conference also included Direct Impact, the company's annual community give-back initiative, which this year supported Water First, a Canadian organization working with Indigenous communities on water education, training and community-led solutions.

Instead of distributing traditional conference gifts, Direct Travel donated $2,500 to Water First and pledged to match attendee donations dollar-for-dollar, up to $10,000.

The initiative was supported through the company's partnership with The Intrepid Foundation, which backs community development, humanitarian and environmental projects.

Direct Access heads to Cancun in 2027

Looking ahead, Direct Travel announced that its next conference will take place Oct. 4–6, 2027, at AVA Resort Cancun in Cancun, Mexico.

"2027 looks like another strong year in luxury leisure travel and I am so proud to work with an incredible team supporting so many talented travel advisors," said Bellino.

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