VIDEO: Sandals’ Adam Stewart celebrates Travel Advisor Day with Trevello in Jamaica

Trevello Travel Group celebrated Travel Advisor Day loud and proud!

Taking over the ballroom and hallways of Hyatt Ziva and Hyatt Zilara Rose Hall in Montego Bay, Jamaica, where the host agency’s 2025 “Momentum” conference is happening, Trevello’s staff and supplier partners greeted travel agents with pom-poms, noisemakers and cheers as they walked to opening session Wednesday morning (May 7).

But it wasn’t just the conference attendees who were in high spirits—nearly 100 staff members from the resort joined the celebration, filling the hallway to the resort’s event spaces with cheers, dancing, and enthusiastic support. 

When agents entered the conference ballroom, they were greeted by a Jamaican choir singing Bob Marley's "One Love." 

The upbeat morning included a special guest appearance: Adam Stewart, executive chairman of Sandals Resorts International, who, as keynote speaker, took to the stage to express his thanks to Canadian travel advisors.

He spoke about the beauty of the Caribbean, and the warmth of its people, and how the region delivers vacations of a lifetime.

He also emphasized the value of genuine human connections in a time when artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly prevalent.

“You’ll never hear a robot say, “Yah mon…You want a rum and coke?”  Stewart said, generating some laughs.

“You have never been more real and relevant in this chaotic world where people are trying to find answers,” he told the audience.

The experience, knowledgeable and on-the-ground contacts travel advisors have “matter in this business,” he said, telling attendees that they have a “bold future.”

Gary Sadler, executive vice-president of sales and industry relations at Unique Vacations Inc., was also on the scene and several prizes (aka – complimentary stays at Sandals properties) were awarded to attendees.

“Sandals Resorts’ support of the Canadian travel advisor community has been unwavering for over four decades….and I should know, I’ve been working alongside advisors every day during my 31-year tenure with Unique Vacations Canada,” said Maureen Barnes-Smith, vice president, sales and marketing Canada at Unique Vacations Canada. “While the travel industry sure has changed over that time, one thing that has not changed – and will never change – is the high level of collaboration, motivation, appreciation and dedication that Sandals and Beaches Resorts provides to their travel advisor partners.”

“We want to equip advisors with as many sales and marketing tips and tools they need to make the booking….everything from co-branded websites and wrapped vehicles to a refreshed “Sandals Elite Advisor” program and a new, user-friendly Travel Advisor Portal.”

Other Canadian advisors were celebrated on Wednesday at special events across Jamaica as part of “Back to The Beach” Fams with Sandals Resorts.   

To commemorate Travel Advisor Day, each participating resort hosted a special luncheon where local officials and Sandals team members paid tribute to the advisors’ invaluable contributions to tourism across the region.

PAX caught up with Stewart after his keynote to talk more about the importance of travel advisors and the role they play in shaping his resorts. He also shared his top business tip for the trade. Watch the interview here! 

Trevello’s conference runs until May 9. Stay tuned for more of PAX’s on-the-ground coverage.

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