On Location – Teeing up advocacy: ACTA’s annual golf tournament in full swing

Canada's travel industry is back on course, with clubs in hand and advocacy front of mind.

The Association of Canadian Travel Agencies and Travel Advisors (ACTA) kicked off its 36th annual golf tournament Thursday morning (July 9) in Milton, ON at Royal Ontario Golf Club, where roughly 150 golfers, spread across 38 carts, rolled onto the course starting at around 9:45 a.m.

Under comfortably overcast skies – a welcome break from the summer heat – familiar faces from every corner of the industry gathered for a day that feels as much like a family reunion as it does a golf tournament.

Travel advisors, tour operators, airlines, cruise lines, hotels, tourism boards, insurance partners, consortia, technology providers, trade media and other industry stakeholders spent the morning reconnecting with colleagues, greeting old friends and posing for photos as Bahamian carnival dancers entertained in the background before golfers headed out onto the course.

Throughout the day, partners will transform holes into lively activation stations, while the tournament will wrap up this evening with dinner (where more will attend, bringing the total attendance to 215) and prizes.

Beyond the birdies and bogeys, the annual event serves a larger purpose.

Held each year in support of ACTA's advocacy fund, the tournament helps strengthen the association's voice on behalf of Canada's travel advisors and agencies while giving the industry a rare opportunity to come together away from boardrooms and conference halls.

For Suzanne Acton-Gervais, ACTA's president, this year's tournament is especially meaningful.

Almost exactly one year after taking the helm of the association, she's had a chance to pause, if only briefly, and appreciate the community surrounding her.

"It's great to be back," Acton-Gervais told PAX in a quick interview this morning before the tournament started.

"I'm able to take this in a bit more this year. I've got an incredible team that put this event together again. And, of course, we have amazing volunteers, all our supplier partners, media, partners, tourism, destination boards, and everyone else that makes the day such a success."

More than just golf

While plenty of friendly competition is expected throughout the 18-hole tournament, Acton-Gervais says golf is only part of the story.

"This is where we're able to convene the industry,” she explained, “and make sure our advocacy fund is strong and able to support all the work we need to do, which is probably more important than ever.”

"It's always been important, but we want to be impactful. We want to be strategic, and we want to be quicker."

More importantly, she said, the event reinforces what has always made Canada's travel community unique.

“This industry is built on relationships, right? This is about people reconnecting, making new connections and truly enjoying the day."

A summer tradition

The timing couldn't be better.

Ahead of the travel industry’s hectic fall conference and booking season this fall and winter, the tournament offers a rare chance to slow down.

"It's a beautiful time before we kick off our very busy fall season,” said Acton-Gervais. “We've got our upcoming Summits, we know the trade is very busy in the fall.”

The event is backed by many of the industry's bold-faced names, with Air Canada and Air Canada Vacations serving as title sponsors. Globus family of brands is the major sponsor, Manulife the premier sponsor, and The Bahamas the destination sponsor.

Advocacy & the “really good news” 

Meanwhile, ACTA's advocacy agenda remains top of mind.

Last March, the association participated in its first-ever ACTA Parliamentary Hill Day, which allowed travel agency and advisor leaders, from across the country, to meet with Senators, MPs and federal officials to discuss how federal policy can better support travel businesses.

One priority heading into the fall is reducing barriers around travel insurance sales across Canada, Acton-Gervais said.

"One of our main priorities, even though we're not federally regulated, is for the federal government to act as a facilitator, especially at this time when there's discussions about removing interprovincial barriers and removal of red tape," she said.

"We'd really love to see some movement on removal of red tape of the sale of travel insurance across Canada."

Despite continued uncertainty – from geopolitical events to fluctuating fuel prices – she says Canadians haven't stopped booking trips.

"Right now, Canadians are still travelling,” said Acton-Gervais. “They're going further, they're staying longer. That trend continues and it’s really, really good news."

Instead, travellers are becoming more selective.

“What we're hearing is that Canadians are shifting where they're going," said Acton-Gervais. “Safety is also a top priority, which demonstrates the value of working with a travel advisor or travel agency because they're able to advise Canadians on where to go, and how to protect their investment, during the entire journey.”

ACTA’s golf tournament also arrives amid another advocacy challenge: Air Canada's recent decision to reduce (and in some cases, eliminate) certain travel advisor commissions.

Calling the move "a surprise" and "devastating," Acton-Gervais said ACTA has pursued every avenue available – from government outreach to direct discussions with the airline.

"We're grateful to Air Canada as a partner,” she said. “We've been able to have discussions with them and will continue those discussions.”

"They stated that their decision is firm. We're disappointed, but we're hoping, as the industry improves with fuel, that they're able to revisit and reconsider." 

"I do know that they value the travel trade. That's something they've made clear. That said, our members are absolutely concerned and devastated by it."

One year in

Looking back on her first year leading ACTA, Acton-Gervais acknowledged the challenges – but also the rewards.

“It's been a challenging year, no doubt about it,” she said. “But it's been an incredible year as well. Probably one of the most rewarding years of my career."

"I don't think there's any other industry like [travel]. It's an honour and a privilege to be representing ACTA and the collective voice of travel agencies and travel advisors."

PAX is roaming the links all day by golf cart, capturing the action as it unfolds. Watch our Facebook and Instagram pages for updates!

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