Happy Travel Agent Day! Travel companies celebrate with promos

Today (May 3) marks the return of Travel Agent Day, an annual celebration that recognizes the hard work and accomplishments achieved by licensed travel agents across Canada.

This special day takes place on the first Wednesday of May each year. It began in 2012 as a way of acknowledging the lifelong memories agents create for their clients and the value they bring to today’s ever-evolving industry. A Facebook page devoted to the occasion can be found here.

To celebrate Travel Agent Day, many travel companies are offering special deals, contests and promos for agents:

Air Canada Vacations (ACV) is giving away 10,000 ACV&ME points to three lucky agents and five $250 gift cards. Agents can sign up for the ACV&ME loyalty program at aircanadavacations.com/agents to be automatically entered in the draw. The winners will be announced on May 31. With the ACV&ME loyalty program, agents who book hotels, cruises and groups will receive 600 points per room for packages of seven or more nights; 400 points per room for packages of three-six nights; 600 points per stateroom for air and cruise packages; and 300 points per passenger for group bookings.

Air North, Yukon’s airline, is offering agents a five per cent commission bonus on bookings made through the travel agent portal on flyairnorth.com between May 1-31, 2017. Special discounted agent airfare rates from select cities are also available for a limited time. Contact Air North’s reservation’s team to book flights by calling 1-800-661-0407.

Contiki is showing their travel agent friends some love with surprise-and-delights in their offices today, along with a $50 bonus commission. The company has also assembled The Agent Guide to Everything, a comprehensive Social Media Guide and a Custom Groups Kit.

From May 3-10, for every travel agent in North America who subscribes to Exodus Travels’ trade e-newsletter or shares the Adventure 2017 article from the Agent Facebook Group, the tour operator has pledged to send one additional child on the adventure of a lifetime with its responsible tourism initiative Adventure2017.

G Adventures is passing on extra savings to agents' clients. From May 1-7, save 15-45 per cent on select G Adventures departures all over the globe. Agents' clients can choose from more than 425 departures on six continents, in six of G Adventures travel styles. To get the complete list of trips and more info, agents can contact their Global Purpose Specialist.

As a token of their appreciation for travel agents, Goway will be sending coffee cards to all agents who book and deposit a Goway package between May 3-5, 2017. All agents who book in this period will also go into a draw to win a spa day.

Insight Vacations is showing their love for agent partners all month - in conjunction with their Destination Spotlight series featuring Italy, for every Insight Vacations booking made that travels through the destination, agents will receive a $50 gift card.

Porter Airlines has launched a month-long contest, from May 3 - May 31, 2017, whereby travel agents can win great prizes, such as: one of three weekly prizes of 25,000 VIPorter loyalty points; one of two grand prizes of a weekend getaway for two to New York or Toronto, which includes a Porter flights for two, hotel stay and more. Weekly winners will be randomly selected on May 10th, 17th and 24th. Grand prize winners will be randomly selected on June 8th, 2017. Registered agents can file their Porter and Porter Escapes bookings on www.flyporter.com/agent. Additionally, Porter is providing travel agents, along with a companion, 30 per cent off their next Porter flight for booking made between May 3-24, 2017, with travel completed by June 28, 2017.

Sunwing has a special rewards promo for one day only. Agents can earn 2x STAR Agent Reward Points on all bookings that are made today, May 3, 2017.

Totalstay is offering two prize draws to celebrate the day. All agents that make a booking between May 3 and May 10 will go into a draw to win a one-night hotel stay in the Canadian destination of their choice. Also during this time, any agents who find one of 150 maple leaves that have been hidden on totalstay’s website will go into a draw to win a Canadian-themed gift hamper.

Agents can check availability, and book online, by logging into their account at totalstay.com, or speak to doreen.lynch@totalstay.com for more info.

Trafalgar is celebrating Travel Agent Day all week, as the tour operator's regional Sales Managers drop by agencies with Trafalgar treats.

Transat wants to send three lucky agents on a vacation. Any Canadian travel agent who books any Transat product today, May 3rd, will be entered into a draw to win a seven-night, all-inclusive vacation to one of these Karisma resorts: Azul Beach Resort The Fives Playa del Carmen, by Karisma, El Dorado Royale or El Dorado Seaside Suites. In addition, agents can earn $30 Bonbon rewards on South, Europe and cruise packages. Also, three agents will earn $150 Bonbon rewards on all their bookings.

TravelBrands is saying thanks by offering travel agents the chance to win one million Loyalty Rewards points; agents will be entered to win by making a booking through Access. Agents will also have the chance to win a monthly prize of 100,000 Loyalty Rewards points for the next nine months. Full details are available at travelbrandsagent.com.

PAX will be celebrating travel agents all month! Check out our latest anniversary issue in which we mark Travel Agent Month with a special series of articles profiling travel agents and their experiences.