On Location: Top performing TTAND agents honoured at Supplier Awards in Jordan

News / Travel Agencies & Consortia

06-12-2024 9:25 am

Pax Global Media

The Travel Agent Next Door (TTAND) recently wrapped up its 2024 “Trailblazers” conference and 10-year anniversary celebration in the Middle Eastern country of Jordan – an immersive experience from June 2-9 that participants called “epic,” “extraordinary” and “eye opening.”

Involving nearly 300 Canadian travel professionals (227 agents, 37 supplier reps and 20 TTAND staff), the highly-anticipated trip was sponsored by G Adventures, the Jordan Tourism Board and Royal Jordanian Airlines, which provided a private flight, aboard a 787 Dreamliner jet, to Amman, Jordan, from Toronto, ON.

In between activities, which includes supplier one-on-ones, workshops, beach parties, visits to Planeterra projects and eye-popping tours of Petra and Wadi Rum, TTAND’s network of 1,400 agents were recognized for their sales accomplishments.

A formal awards gala was held at the Kempinski Hotel Ishtar, a hotel facing the Dead Sea, on June 5, where top performing agents and agencies were honoured. (See the winners here).

Agents and suppliers visit The Treasury in Petra. (Pax Global Media)

TTAND also held its own version of the People’s Choice Awards, its Supplier Partner Awards, which are voted on by agents themselves. (See the winners here).

At the event’s closing session on Sunday (June 9), a final round of awards took place – supplier awards, for top-producing agents.

Held at the Mövenpick resort in Aqaba, a port city in Jordan facing the Red Sea, participating suppliers joined TTAND’s President and Founder, Flemming Friisdahl, on a stage to call up the host agency’s best.

From left: Flemming Friisdahl, TTAND; Maizy Alexander; Brenda Lynne Yeomans, Celebrity Cruises. (Pax Global Media)

Here’s a complete list of this year’s winners:

Company Name	Top Producer
5Continents	Travel by Toni - Toni Linde Elevation Travel : Garth Layden
Air Canada	Mary Jane Hiebert
Air Canada Vacations	Sharlene Philipchuk
AmaWaterways	Paula Stewart Rhian Torontow Lynda Jeffery
Azamara Cruises	Brenda Ostlund
Bedsonline	Lisa Kay
Celebrity Cruises	Anna Abbandonato Jeffrey Cohen Maizy Alexander
Collette	Collette Trabucco Kathy Kean Cathy Firster
DMCi Inc.	Elevation Travel - Meridel & Garth Layden Shelley's Sun & Sand - Shelley Cota Marcia Proctor
G Adventures	Chen Yu
Gateways International Tailor-made Tours	Terri Suomi
Globus Family of Brands	Lynn Holinski Shelley Pfeifer Mary Pugh
Goway Travel	Karen Fournier
Hyatt Inclusive Collection	Wendy Steppler
Insight Vacations	Ola Ulewicz
Kensington Tours	Andrea White Scott Waldron

Oceania Cruises	Christine MacFarlane Lise Coghlan Heather Lavender
Railbookers	Karren Moore Judith Coates
Regent Seven Seas Cruises	Garth Layden
Royal Caribbean International	Ken Houston Gail Donovan James Li
Royal Irish Tours	Wendy Weir Wayne & Kathie Ashby Cindy Almond
Seabourn	Jeff Cohen Iain Perks Linda DeRusha
Star Clippers	Shelley Cota Iain Perkins Eileen Stanley
Transat	Sylvette Deveau
TravelBrands	Ernestina Garland Maria Garcia
Viking	Serina Bowles
Virgin Voyages	Sean Mills

Highest Insurance Close Ratio	Primary Agent	Kyla Coe
Highest Insurance Close Ratio	Silver/Gold Agent	Jacqueline Darian-Varzeliotis
Highest Insurance Close Ratio	Agency	Pattie Kisilewich
Highest Insurance Close Ratio	Associate Agent	Frances Gertsch
Highest Insurance Sales	Primary Agent	Kyla Coe
Highest Insurance Sales	Silver/Gold Agent	Chrystal Robert-Macey
Highest Insurance Sales	Agency	Garth Layden
Highest Insurance Sales	Associate	Frances Gertsch