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Cricket & camaraderie: Goway connects on the field, unveils Travel Advisory Board
Jessica Huras
Jessica Huras is a writer and editor with over a decade of experience creating travel and food content. In addition to writing for PAX, she’s a content editor for LCBO Food & Drink magazine and her work has also appeared in the Toronto Star, the Globe and Mail, Toronto Life, Chatelaine and Elle Canada.
It was clear skies and sunshine for Goway Travel’s 21st annual cricket match against Air New Zealand on Thursday (Aug. 21) at the Toronto Cricket Skating and Curling Club.
The long-standing tradition brought together Goway staff, partners from Air New Zealand and members of the travel media for an afternoon of friendly competition and camaraderie.
The event is also one of Goway’s main annual staff gatherings, offering team members—including many who work remotely—an opportunity to reconnect face to face.
This year, the New Zealand side claimed victory on the pitch before guests capped off the day with a buffet dinner and plenty of conversation, celebrating more than two decades of this industry get-together.
Goway launches Travel Advisory Board
The festivities also coincided with another important milestone for the company: the launch of Goway’s inaugural Travel Advisory Board.
The new initiative is part of Goway’s 55th anniversary celebrations and reflects its commitment to innovation, advisor support and industry leadership.
The board brings together a cross-section of 10 industry experts from across North America, including seasoned veterans, newer advisors, and key consortia partners. Members include
- Dana Empey (BST Vacations)
- Cathy Evans (Vista Travel)
- Adolfo Granadillo (Cruise Planners)
- Jason Hendrick (Ci Azumano Travel)
- Leila Lavaee (TTAND: Travel Design by Leila)
- Peg Mellen (Dream Vacations)
- Suzanne Pitt (Cruise and Tours Unlimited)
- Sherry Riggs (WorldVia Travel)
- Terry Vanderlinden (AMA)
- Sandra Wesson (TDC)
Speaking to PAX, Renee Stanton-Defaria, director of sales at Goway Travel, said the idea was to ground Goway’s future plans in direct advisor feedback.
“We thought it would be a good idea to actually go out and talk to advisors and find out what they need, rather than us assuming what they need,” she said.
Stanton-Defaria said the advisory board builds on last April’s launch of Club 100, a VIP rewards program offering top advisors perks such as a dedicated reservations team, front-of-line access at Goway events and other exclusive benefits.
“Club 100 was about loyalty and thanking the advisors that have supported us,” she said.
“This is an extension of that – getting key subject industry experts from North America and bringing them into a room to talk about the next 55 years.”
Listening to advisors, shaping the future
The group’s first meeting produced several clear takeaways.
Stanton-Defaria noted that solo women travel emerged as a major theme during the board’s first meeting, citing a sharp rise in demand.
According to Goway’s Google Analytics data, searches for solo women travel are up by 300 per cent.
“There’s not really a provider out there at the moment that’s really catering to that well,” she said. “So that is something that we’re going to definitely look into further.”
Other themes included speed to market and maintaining Goway’s core identity as a specialist operator.
“Advisors love the fact that we have the specialization,” said Stanton-Defaria. “They don’t want us to lose that part or become a generalist, but instead to really focus on service and speed to market.”
Technology also factored into the discussions, particularly the growing role of AI. With clients now experimenting with tools like ChatGPT to build itineraries, the board talked about how to approach AI as a way to support advisors rather than compete with them.
“We discussed how we would look into it as an organization and how it can help us with efficiencies,” Stanton-Defaria said.
“AI doesn’t know who the client is. One thing we agreed upon is that the personal touch, the human experience—that’s really important to them and their clients.”
Looking ahead, the advisory board will convene twice annually, with at least one in-person meeting.
“We may also have breakout focus sessions throughout the year,” Stanton-Defaria added.
“If we have something we want to deploy into market or if we’re seeing a particular market trend or a downturn in business, we have these people we can connect with now.”
For Stanton-Defaria, the initiative reflects both professional and personal commitment.
“I have always been a huge advocate for the travel advisor—I started as one, it was my first job in my career. I understand how hard their job is and the constant challenges that they’re up against,” she said.
“We will never lose the focus of them being our client and making sure we support them so that we will have another 55 years in business.”
As Goway looks toward its next chapter, the Travel Advisory Board is set to play an ongoing role in shaping strategy and strengthening relationships with advisors—mirroring the spirit of collaboration and connection that defines the company’s long-running cricket tradition.
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