Super routes, super tech, super advisors: ACV Dream Makers takes flight in Western Canada

Air Canada Vacations (ACV) has wrapped the Western Canada leg of its annual Dream Makers product launches, bringing new routes, technology updates and a superhero-sized salute to travel advisors to Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver.

The popular travel trade roadshow made its Calgary debut on Sept. 8, marking the city’s first appearance on the Dream Makers circuit in 2026. The tour continued to Edmonton on Sept. 9 before landing in Vancouver on Thursday (Sept. 10).

This year’s theme? Travel Agent Superheroes – a fitting concept for an event that has long attracted strong attendance from advisors eager to connect with ACV and its supplier partners, while getting the latest scoop on what’s coming next.

“We truly see our travel advisors as the superheroes of our industry,” Vancouver-based Marigold Frontuna, general manager sales at Air Canada Vacations, told PAX. “Without their support, commitment, and belief in our brand, we simply wouldn’t have the ability to grow and evolve the way we have. For me, that partnership is really the heart of everything we do.”

And ACV leaned into the theme.

Artificial intelligence played a starring role at this year’s events, with advisors invited to create personalized AI-generated superhero avatars, a playful activation that also reflected ACV’s broader emphasis on technology and digital transformation.

More than a product launch

Dream Makers, which started in Halifax last week, may have started as a traditional product launch, but over the years, the annual gathering has evolved into something grander.

READ MORE: Air Canada Vacations kicks off Dream Makers in Halifax with new routes & tools

In addition to showcasing destinations, hotels and flights, the events, which double as a trade show, have become a stage for ACV to reveal new tech, booking enhancements and advisor initiatives aimed at making vacations easier to sell.

This year continued that trend, while also putting significant attention on ACV’s expanding network from Western Canada.

“There’s a lot to be excited about from a product perspective. Agents have some great new opportunities across Western Canada,” Frontuna said.

Edmonton, for example, is gaining new non-stop service to Montego Bay, Jamaica.

The new route is generating so much buzz that Gary Sadler, executive vice president of sales and industry relations at Unique Vacations, Inc., the sales and marketing arm for Sandals and Beaches Resorts, flew to Edmonton, from Miami, to connect with agents in person and throw his support behind the new service.

Sadler, in fact, joined the ACV team in all three Western Canada cities, flexing the muscle of the ACV-Sandals partnership.

Vancouver, meanwhile, is gaining new options to Liberia, Costa Rica; Mazatlan and Puerto Escondido, Mexico; and Sapporo, Japan, among other destinations.

Calgary, too, is back in the spotlight, with ACV returning to the market this winter with non-stop flights to Puerto Vallarta and Cancun.

READ MORE: Winter Is Coming: Nino Montagnese on ACV’s Cuba pivot, luxury push, sargassum & Revnet

But ACV’s Western strategy isn’t solely about where travellers can fly nonstop.

“Another important message we wanted to reinforce with our advisors is how easy it is to connect their clients to the world through our network,” Frontuna explained.

With connectors available from 60 gateways, ACV says it can complement Air Canada’s global expansion and give travel advisors more ways to construct itineraries for clients.

That opportunity will grow alongside Air Canada’s evolving fleet, including the Airbus A321XLR, which will open new possibilities for connecting Canadians to destinations around the world.

Preparing for life after Revnet

Technology was another major talking point at Dream Makers, particularly as the travel trade prepares for Softvoyage to decommission Revnet.

The shutdown of the legacy blue-screen system has been delayed beyond its original Sept. 1 deadline following industry feedback.

Revnet remains popular among travel advisors because it offers functionality that isn’t always available through current distribution channels, including certain connector bookings and more complicated reservations.

For ACV, connectors are among the biggest concerns. As PAX first reported, ACV is working to incorporate more connectors into GDS channels.

READ MORE: Revnet shutdown: ACV to launch hotline for connector bookings, petition circulates

In the meantime, the tour operator is also developing a workaround to help advisors manage those bookings.

Currently, advisors can email connectors@vacv.com and ask ACV to add a connection to a file. A dedicated phone line is also being introduced to support the process.

ACV is also highlighting the growth of its ePackages, both in terms of the destinations available and the earning opportunity for travel advisors.

The dynamic packaging option gives agents greater flexibility to pair flights and accommodations while accessing a wider selection of destinations, and ACV is backing that growth with increased commission opportunities for its advisor partners

“Technology and digital transformation are a major focus for us,” Frontuna said. “We continue to make investments in technology because we want to create efficiencies for our travel advisors and make doing business with ACV easy and seamless as possible.”

Additionally, ACV is going to be pushing more luxury this winter season. The tour operator, for example, recently became The Excellence Collection’s exclusive Canadian tour operator partner.

Taking the classroom to sea

Dream Makers also unfolds as ACV prepares to take advisor education offshore.

READ MORE: Air Canada Vacations Academy sets sail in 2027 aboard Norwegian Encore

The tour operator recently announced its inaugural Air Canada Vacations Academy at Sea, taking place Jan. 17-24, 2027, aboard Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Encore.

Presented in partnership with Norwegian Cruise Line and other industry partners, the seven-night program will bring travel advisors from across Canada together under the theme “Learn. Earn. Experience More.”

The initiative adds another dimension to ACV’s advisor engagement strategy, combining education, networking and first-hand product experience at sea.

"The Air Canada Vacations Academy is much more than a training program; it's an opportunity for advisors to connect with industry partners, experience our products firsthand and build meaningful relationships with colleagues from across the country," said Erminia Gallina, director of sales at ACV, in a previous statement.

"We're excited to offer an experience that combines learning, networking and unforgettable travel moments, all while helping advisors grow their knowledge and confidence in selling cruises and vacation experiences."

Dream Makers heads east

With Western Canada now in the books, Dream Makers is now heading to Quebec.

The tour arrives in Montreal on Sept. 14 before making another first-time stop in Quebec City on Sept. 15. The roadshow will then conclude in Toronto on Sept. 22.

While there’s plenty of product, technology and network news for advisors to digest along the way, Frontuna said the bigger message behind this year’s Dream Makers is a simple one: ACV wants the trade to know it has their back.

“There’s a lot of information to absorb in one evening, but what I really want our advisors to walk away with is the bigger picture,” Frontuna told PAX.

“Yes, we have exciting new routes, new products and new technology enhancements but ultimately, we are here to support them. But we want our advisors to know that they don’t have to navigate all of this alone.”

“We’re here to hold their hand every step of the way. Because at the end of the day their success is our success.”

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