Travel Agent Month roundup: discounts, prizes, contests & more!

The travel industry is giving travel advisors around the world a collective applause this month to mark Travel Agent Day, an annual celebration that takes place on the first Wednesday of May (and throughout the rest of the month) 

Travel Agent Day was founded by Colleen Lorenzen of Uniglobe Carefree Travel in Saskatoon, Sask, in 2011. (Click here to join the official Facebook page). 

Since then, the day has evolved into a globally-recognized event, lasting an entire month, bringing together travel pros from all corners of the industry.

Here’s how suppliers and tourism boards are celebrating the travel trade this month.

Association of Canadian Travel Agencies and Travel Advisors

ACTA is celebrating Travel Advisor Month with business-building workshops and a wellness challenge sponsored by Princess Resorts, the Jamaica Tourist Board, and Air Canada. The workshops cover topics like turning stress into profit, effective delegation, transforming challenging clients into loyal ones, and building emotional intelligence. Participants can register for these workshops, which will be available on-demand until June 6, and are eligible for prizes including Air Canada tickets and attendance to the ACTA International Conference in the Azores. In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, ACTA is also offering members a discount on the She Summits 10-Day Unleash Your Joy Challenge, providing tools to enhance wellbeing with no fitness requirement. French captions will be available for the live sessions, and workshop participants will be eligible for prizes announced in ACTA Vision on June 10. 

For more information, visit here.

Air Canada & Air Canada Vacations

From May 1 to 31, Canadians can nominate deserving travel agents for a chance to win 100,000 Aeroplan points and a grand prize package to their dream destination including:

•       A pair of round-trip tickets for them and a companion to their dream destination anywhere Air Canada flies 
•       An Air Canada Vacations future travel voucher worth $2,500 
•       A pair of Maple Leaf Lounge one-time passes 

For a chance to win, enter here.

African Travel, Inc.

ATI announces special incentives and offers to celebrate Travel Advisor Day. As a token of appreciation for their efforts, travel advisors will receive a $50.00 e-gift card for every new custom safari booking made and deposited between May 1st and May 31st, 2024. The incentives will be disbursed in June 2024.

Advisors also have the opportunity to participate in ATI’s African Travel Educational Program by joining FAM trips, which are scheduled throughout the year. Advisors can also explore Africa with loved ones at a time and date of their preference with up to a 30 per cent discount on all 2024 tailor-made itineraries offering 40 unique journeys. When they have 5+ bookings, advisors can travel with 3 guests.  

For more information, contact your local Sales Manager. Access Advisor Resources here.

CIE Tours

From May 1 to May 31, 2024, CIE says travel advisors can save 50 per cent when booking any of its guided vacation tours to Ireland for departure between July 1 and December 31, 2024. 

For advisors inviting a non-agent to share a room, the companion will save 30 per cent. All other CIE Tours destinations are offered at 30 per cent savings for both agents and their companion sharing the same room. 

The company’s All-In Inclusive Advantage means the discounted price includes everything noted on itineraries in one upfront price, such as all excursions and most meals. To book, advisors can complete the request form here.

CIE Tours is also offering one advisor and their guest a chance to win a seven-night Taste of Ireland guided vacation plus airfare. 

For every booking deposited between May 1 and November 30, agents will earn one entry into the drawing. 

Each month, one random entry will be selected and awarded a piece of luxury Waterford crystal. For additional details, contact CIE Tours Business Development Manager for Canada, Jenn Bond here.

Collette

This May, two advisors, one from the United States and one from Canada, will win a $5,000 voucher that can be used towards a Collette tour of their choice.

“Our travel advisors work hard to not only help us reach travellers, but to help travellers reach their dream destinations,” said Jaclyn Leibl-Cote, president and chief executive officer. “Collette wants to thank and reward advisors for their hard work. For the entire month of May, they’ll be entered into a drawing for a $5,000 travel voucher each time they book a client on one of our tours.” 

The winners, who will be announced in early June, can combine their $5,000 credit with Collette’s Advisor Travel Program, which offers them a 50% discount, as well as 25% for companions when booking a tour.

Collette is also letting advisors help their clients take advantage of extra savings. All month, they will be able to offer a $100 tour add-on credit per person.

Ensemble 

Ensemble is celebrating Travel Agent Appreciation month through a social media campaign on its platforms. And to keep the love going all year round, Ensemble says it now owns this domain that will be used as a central location to celebrate its members and advisors, including a video here. 

Iberostar

At Iberostar, the team says they are turning Travel Agent Day into Travel Agent Week! Yes, a whole week with exclusive rewards lined up for travel agents:* Terms and Conditions: Book from April 28th - May 5th, 2024. For travel through October 31st, 2024. 

• Double up on your StarAgents points
• Special access to win 5000 StarAgents points via Instagram giveaway

Giveaway Instructions: (1) Sign-up to Iberostar's loyalty program here; (2) Follow Iberostar's Instagram account; and, (3) Press like on the giveaway-related post on our Instagram profile and tag 3 fellow travel agents (celebrities, fake and corporate profiles will not be considered).

Regent Seven Seas Cruises

Regent announces a new suite of offers and incentives for Travel Advisors in celebration of Travel Advisor Appreciation Month.

With this new suite of offers and incentives, luxury travellers can save up to $4,500 per guest on sailings in The Exotics Edition, while Travel Advisors can earn more with a $100 gift card for select European sailings, a $400 Double Bonus Commission, and also experience Regent for themselves through an extended Sell & Sail incentive.   

• There are 11 Mediterranean and Northern Europe sailings in 2024 where Travel Advisors can earn a $100 Gift Card by making a booking between May 1 and 31, 2024. Once an eligible newly deposited booking is made, Travel Advisors simply need to register here.
• Travel Advisors to earn twice the bonus commission while completing a new graduate level degree in RSSC University. To receive a $400 Double Bonus Commission on any 2024 voyage, newly graduated Travel Advisors need to make and register a new deposited booking between May 1 and June 30, 2024. For more information, visit here.
• Travel Advisors now have until June 30, 2024, to earn themselves a FREE Regent Seven Seas Cruises voyage. With Sell & Sail, Travel Advisors who make three new bookings on voyages in Regent’s Immersive Overnights collection can sail for free with a guest on any of the same Immersive Overnights itineraries. For more information, visit here.

Riviera River Cruises

This river cruise company will offer booking incentives throughout the month of May in celebration of Global Travel Advisor Day. Through the incentives, advisors can earn a complimentary cabin on a 2024 European river cruise, as well as a 5 percent bonus commission for every cabin booked on 2024 departures. Riviera will also hold two webinars in May and advisors who attend will be entered into drawings for a $500 gift card. For more information about Riviera River Cruises, call 888-838-8820 or visit here.

Scenic Group

Throughout May 2024, Scenic will be hosting a series of exciting opportunities and giveaways exclusively for licensed professional travel advisors in Canada, excluding Quebec. 

 Rewards include: 

1. Daily SWAG Pack Giveaways: For a chance to win: 

• Engage in Scenic Group’s Trade Facebook Group here.  
• Sign up for here for newsletters:  
  • For Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours, visit here. 
  • For Emerald Cruises, visit here.

2) Monos® Luggage Set: The top-performing agent with highest total revenue in ocean yacht cruise sales, with a minimum of two new, deposited bookings on Scenic Eclipse or Emerald Yacht Cruises, will win a set of premium Monos® luggage. 

3) Win a European River Cruise: Agents making new, deposited river cruise bookings on Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours or Emerald Cruises between May 1-31, 2024, are eligible to win an 8-Day Rhine, Main, or Danube river cruise. Two trips will be awarded, one for each brand. 

The program will run from May 1-31, 2024. Complete details, including terms and conditions, can be found here.  

Sunwing

“Today and every day, we are continuously grateful for the tremendous support our Travel Advisor partners have shown us at Sunwing Vacations,” says Deana Murphy, vice president of sales and business development

Today only (May 1), travel advisors will earn 3X STAR points on each individual client booking made on May 1, 2024 for travel by April 30, 2025 to any destination and from any gateway Sunwing Vacations operates. This offer is applicable to all vacation packages and air-only bookings.

Sunwing Vacations is also offering agents access to exclusive reduced rates on DIY fams until October 2024, plus a chance to win one of three, seven-night vacation packages for two, including flights and transfers. Advisors who book Sunwing Vacations packages** for their clients by May 31, 2024 for travel between May 1, 2024 and April 30, 2025 will be automatically entered for a chance to win an all inclusive stay at Riu Jalisco in Riviera Nayarit, Mexico, Riu Bambu in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic or Riu Dunamar in Cancun, Mexico.

For more information, visit here.

Unique Vacations Canada

In celebration of Global Travel Advisor Day 2024, Unique Vacations Canada Inc, an affiliate of the worldwide representatives of Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts, is offering the following:   

• Limited Time, Enhanced Bonus Cash Incentive– For all new bookings of six nights or longer made with Unique Vacations Canada Inc. between May 1 – 31, 2024 (for travel at any Sandals or Beaches resort through December 26, 2024) Canadian travel advisors will be eligible to receive an enhanced bonus cash commission:
  • US$200 Booking Bonus on Butler Suites  
  • US$150 Booking Bonus on Club/Concierge Level Rooms 
  • US$75 Booking Bonus on Luxury/Deluxe Rooms

• Sandals also reveals newly designed car wraps for Travel Advisors. “In a world where every impression counts, standing out is not just an option, it's imperative," said Gary C. Sadler, executive vice president of sales and industry relations. "This program is not just about wrapping our vehicles; it's about wrapping ourselves in the spirit of innovation and boldness.” 

“From the brand’s inception, we have always recognized that Travel Advisors are the heartbeat of our industry. We not only express our sincerest gratitude for their unwavering commitment today, but every day,” continues Sadler.

For more details on all Sandals Resorts Travel Advisor Programs, call your local Sandals BDM or Inside Sales at 1-800-545-8283 and visit the Sandals Travel Advisor Portal.

WestJet

To show appreciation for its travel agent partners,the airline is running three contests during the month of May. Travel agents can enter to win here. Full contest details and thank you messages can also be found on WestJet's travel agent resource site here: 

 Contest 1: Elevate Their Journey 

Travel agents can enter to win one of the following prizes:

• One WestJet Rewards status upgrade
• Four $100 WestJet gift cards
• Two WestJet swag bags valued at $100 each

Enter at https://contests.westjet.com/elevate.

Contest 2: LA Your Way

Travel agents can enter to win the LA prize package which includes the following:

• Two round-trip airfare tickets in Economy cabin to LAX
• 3-night hotel stay at Sheraton Universal + $100 USD Food & Beverage Credit
• Two Universal Studios Hollywood Express Tickets
• Two General Admission Passes to Warner Bros. Studio Tour
• Complimentary tour with E-Bike Tours Los Angeles for two people
• $100 gift certificate to Original Farmers Market with over 100+ merchants
• $100 Citadel Outlets gift card + $30 VIP Lounge Pass
• Los Angeles swag bag (includes items made in LA and Los Angeles Tourism branded items)
• Private transfers via Karmel Shuttle

Enter here.

Contest 3: Paradise at Paradisus

Travel agents can enter to win the Meliá prize package which includes the following:

• Two round-trip airfare tickets in Economy cabin to Punta Cana
• A 7-night stay at Paradisus Grand Cana All Suites Resort
• All meals plus snacks
• Unlimited domestic and premium drinks
• Daily activities
• Nightly entertainment
• All taxes
• Roundtrip airport transfers

Enter here.

Bonus entries

Travel agents can earn bonus entries for the LA Your Way and Paradise at Paradisus prize packages by adding their client's WestJet Rewards ID to reservations made between May 1 - May 31, 2024, and entering the booking details in the contest page. 

Every eligible booking will earn one bonus entry, with unlimited entries. Enter here.

Windstar Cruises

During the month of May, Windstar celebrates travel advisors with four cruise giveaways and bonus commission.

Travel advisors who make a new booking or complete Windstar’s online training program will automatically be entered for a chance to win one of four free cruises for themselves and a guest. Advisors can boost their chances with each booking (2024 new bookings made during the month of May are worth five entries; each new booking for 2025 and beyond counts for two entries). Advisors who complete Windstar’s Star Specialist Online Learning Program in May 2024 also earn five entries.   

Beyond the giveaway, Windstar is also offering a bonus perk all month long. Travel advisors can earn a $100 commission bonus for each cabin booked for a new-to-Windstar guest during the month of May. 

For more details and entries, visit here.

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