On Location: Canadian travel advisors shine at Envoyage Worldwide in South Africa

Movie stars have the Oscars. Television stars have the Emmys.

And independent, home-based star travel advisors at Envoyage? Enter the “Envys.”

Flight Centre Travel Group’s (FCTG’s) independent agency arm held its second-annual awards ceremony Saturday night (Sept. 13) at Worldwide, Envoyage’s 2025 global conference, which wrapped up Monday (Sept. 15) in Sun City, South Africa.

This year’s event, titled “Beyond Every Journey” – which PAX was invited to cover exclusively – welcomed a delegation of more than 400 Envoyage members and supplier partners from Canada, the United States, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

As representatives waved massive national flags, guiding guests (dressed in earth and ember-themed outfits) to their tables, the glittering “Sands of Elegance” gala and dinner – at a golf course-based venue called “The Greenhouse” – opened with a show-stopping performance by the Ndlovu Youth Choir — an acclaimed South African ensemble that once captivated TV audiences on America’s Got Talent.

READ MORE: On Location: From AI to “Amazon-speed” service: Envoyage unpacks future of travel at Worldwide South Africa

Throughout the night, the dynamic choir energized the crowd with slick choreography and African-inspired covers of beloved hits — from Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” to Toto’s “Africa” — eventually sending guests flocking to the dance floor. At one point, a confetti canon went off.

But the main event was the presentation of the Envy trophies, honouring Envoyage travel advisors across a range of categories.

Canada shone brightly, with three of the 16 Canadian advisors at this year’s Worldwide conference taking home the coveted hardware.  

Christine Wilson – Destination or Product Specialist of the Year.

Envoyage advisor Christine Wilson from Owen Sound, ON, won the award for Destination or Product Specialist of the Year.

Her speciality? Organizing group pickleball trips.

“It’s been incredibly successful. We're getting people across Canada and the U.S. It’s taken off,” said Wilson, speaking to PAX at the conference.

Wilson first discovered pickleball – a paddle sport played by two or four players on a badminton-sized court, with a tennis-style net – while visiting Florida with her husband.

But when they returned home to their small Ontario town, they couldn’t find a place to play.

So they started their own local pickleball club, a group that has grown to more than 200 members.

A collaboration with the Taylored Pickleball Academy later sparked the idea of creating curated, pickleball-focused trips.

“We hosted our first trip a year and half ago in the Caribbean and we’re now doing four to five a year,” Wilson said, noting how her pickleball trips helped land her a spot on Envoyage’s “Icons” list for top performers this year.

Each tour draws anywhere between 40 and 80 people, of all skills and abilities.

Wilson has been a travel advisor for 16 years, selling cruises, custom Europe trips, and all-inclusive vacations. But her pickleball groups have given her business a new life.

That partnership with the Pickleball Academy — which runs tournaments and has ties to equipment maker Selkirk — also gave her trips instant credibility and valuable access.  

“They have a huge following and a massive email list,” Wilson said.

The itineraries span sun-drenched resorts and far-flung courts. Wilson took one group to Mexico’s Mayan Riviera, to Grand Palladium “which has incredible sports facilities,” and staff who’ll wait courtside with cold towels for players.

She’s hosting another group at an Iberostar in Mexico later this year.

Meanwhile, more resorts are racing to add courts to meet the demand for pickleball, converting tennis courts into pickleball areas, she said,

She’s even taken players to Europe. “We flew a group to Split, Croatia and worked with someone there who started a pickleball club. It’s now one of Europe’s largest,” she said. “We spent the trip on a chartered ship…and on pickleball courts. The feedback was incredible,” she said.

Her upcoming pickleball trips will head to Italy, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic and Greece. The Yukon is also in the works. She’s even considering a pickleball-themed cruise with Royal Caribbean in Alaska.

Why does the sport resonate so widely? “It's the community,” Wilson said. “It’s fun and everyone can do it. We’ve made so many friends. As you age, I think people are looking for that.  Younger people are also now getting into it. Kids are playing more.”

She credits Envoyage’s support for helping her business thrive. “The Envoyage community is huge. Travel advisors work together, the support staff are amazing… It’s made a big difference,” she said.

Envoyage Worldwide has also helped her niche paddle forward – it was at last year’s inaugural event in Santiago, Chile, where Wilson connected with the partners who made that Croatian trip possible.

With her husband managing logistics and her son recently joining the team, Wilson is scaling up while staying grounded in the friendships that first drew her to pickleball.

Adam Taylor – Community Impact Award

Halifax-based travel advisor Adam Taylor, founder of Altitude Travel, was honoured with the Community Impact Award.

The recognition celebrates travel pros whose work strengthens communities and enriches the industry.

Speaking with PAX, Taylor said the award reflects his efforts to build meaningful connections — with colleagues, clients, and the communities he serves.

“It’s a mix of Envoyage’s Ambassador Program, working with head office, and having a voice within Canada,” he said. “I also book a lot of Aboriginal and Indigenous groups. And I don’t just book them – I show up and make sure there’s a face behind the work.”

His initiatives also include a personal give-back project close to his heart:

“This year I launched the Mary Taylor bursary in my mother’s name,” he said. “It’s $4,000 bursary for a student entering travel and tourism – or two $2,000 bursaries – at the high school I went to in Cape Breton.”

A passionate advocate for inclusion, Taylor also specializes in LGBTQ travel.

“When I came out about ten years ago, I needed a caring, safe travel community,” he said. “Many of my clients in Toronto and Halifax want a trusted advisor and destinations that welcome them. Not every place is right for everyone, so we focus on spots that are safe and fun.”

He recently brought another consultant into the business to help expand this niche.

“We’re doing more outreach so the LGBTQ community knows there’s somewhere to go that’s open and supportive,” he said.

Taylor’s journey into entrepreneurship began after 12 years at Flight Centre.

When his Dartmouth-based store closed during the pandemic, he tried web sales – and hated it.

In January 2021, he went solo as an independent agent and eventually launched Altitude Travel. This January, his business turns five years old.

His agency has since grown into a nine-person team covering a wide range of specialties — from cruises and corporate trips to LGBTQ and luxury travel.

“You never know who’s going to walk through the door,” Taylor explained. “You need someone for every niche. Or at least someone who can knowledably handle inquiries.”

For Taylor, Envoyage provides both a professional home and a source of inspiration.

“What I love is how close we are as a network,” he said. “Events like Worldwide let us meet peers from other countries. I don’t think many agencies do it the way we do.”

He described the conference itself as an energizing way to start the year.

“The atmosphere has been incredible,” he says. “This is what we need once a year — a reset. I’ve had my IV dose of vitamins, and I’m ready to hit the ground running.”

Julie Smigadis – Top Member of the Year Award (Canada)

Toronto-based travel advisor Julie Smigadis, owner of Travel Our World, was honoured with Envoyage’s Top Member of the Year Award for Canada – a recognition of her growth, leadership, and dedication to clients.

Smigadis joined the Envoyage network in 2018 when it was then known as Independent by Flight Centre.  

When the pandemic struck and sales nearly ground to a halt, she and her team chose to raise their voices instead of retreating.

“We got quite loud,” she said. “We became an information source, helping clients stuck abroad — even if we hadn’t booked them.”

As other agents left the field, she welcomed their clients, rebuilding a thriving agency.

“We grew and built a beautiful reputation,” she said. “Now I have a team of eight powerhouse from the Flight Centre world, including one in Vancouver.”

Smigadis and her team focus on complex flight planning and high-end travel.

“We’re definitely an air-focused agency, which is strange because a lot of people are afraid of air,” she said. “We’re nerds that love to put complicated itineraries together and figure out what works. Our luxury market is strong, but we also book adventure, solo, and female travel — anything that comes our way.”

For Smigadis, success starts with passion and integrity.

“You have to advocate for yourself and create your own destiny,” she said. “Clients could book online or with anyone, but they choose me — and that never goes unnoticed. Whether it’s a Toronto–Montreal flight or an African safari, I make sure I’m booking the right product and doing what’s right for them. Get to know what they like, what they want. And be ridiculously passionate about what you’re doing.”

Envoyage’s global network fuels her business, she added.

“Envoyage is outstanding because of its reach,” she said. “My husband (my marketing director) and I were invited to speak at the Envoyage launch in New Zealand. Worldwide brings suppliers and members from everywhere together — you learn about every corner of the industry. A lot of host agencies don’t offer that.”

Attending the conference is, for her, an essential investment.

“It connects you with suppliers, members, and support staff from across the globe,” Smigadis said. “It gives you so much more ammunition to help your clients.

See the full list of this year’s Envys winners here!

Customer Service Excellence

Ane Steyn, Flight Centre Independent, South Africa

Leadership in Regenerative & Accessible Tourism

xtravel, New Zealand

Destination or Product Specialist of the Year

Christine Wilson, Envoyage, Canada

Best Marketing Initiative

Sam & Clive Fillingham, Envoyage, Australia

Community Impact Award

Adam Taylor, Altitude Travel, Canada

Rising Star

Lisa Zilli, Concierge Boutique Travel, USA

Travel Entrepreneur of the Year

Belle Goldie, The Cruise & Travel Store, Australia

Top Advisor Member of the Year – Australia

Brad Thomas, Spotlight Entertainment Travel

Top Agency Member of the Year - Australia

Sportslink

Top Member of the Year – USA

Sherriann Keaton, Live 2 Travel

Top Member of the Year – Canada

Julie Smigadis, Travel Our World

Top Member of the Year - New Zealand

xtravel

Top Advisor Member of the Year - South Africa

Bernice Giliomee, Flight Centre Independent

Top Agency of the Year - South Africa

Global Explore

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