"A critical part of our future”: Travel advisors “the hero” in Sunwing ad spot; winter launch unpacks strategy

“We cannot grow and continue to thrive as Canada's largest vacation provider without the advisor community,” said Samantha Taylor, chief marketing officer at Sunwing Vacations Group. “They are a critical part of our future.”

A fresh take on travel advisors, and the value they bring to their customers, filled the Trackside Clubhouse at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto on Wednesday (Oct. 2) at Sunwing’s 2024-25 winter kickoff.

Welcoming some 180 travel pros, the event, sponsored by the Jamaica Tourist Board and accented by hot-pink flamingo t-shirts, marked the launch Sunwing’s new “Flynancial Advisor” brand spot and commercial, which will be shown across several print and digital platforms.

The campaign portrays an everyday Canadian couple reflecting on the often-relatable challenges of booking a vacation à la carte and the accompanying costs. With a bit of humour, the ad shows travellers how they can make smart “flynancial” decisions so they are empowered to enjoy a vacation for less.

Sunwing’s brand evolution

Speaking to PAX yesterday, Samantha Taylor explained how Sunwing, for the past three years, has been on a “brand evolution,” finessing its identity around driving value (as opposed to selling cheap, last-minute vacations).

Enter the Sunwing Flynancial Advisor. 

“This entire campaign is about reminding Canadians that the best value you will get on vacation will be with Sunwing and the Flynancial Advisor, which are really the iteration of travel advisors in Canada,” she said.

Canadians are getting savvier

Sunwing’s multi-year initiative backs recent research revealing that Canadians are taking a savvier approach to their vacations.

READ MORE: Winter Is Coming: Sunwing’s Andrew Dawson & Dave Wright unpack strategies for travel advisors

According to a survey of 1,512 Canadians that Sunwing conducted from August 9-13, 2024, more travellers are applying strategies to save on travel: 60 per cent of respondents said they are travelling during off-peak seasons, while 56 per cent are booking in advance to reap the rewards of lower rates.

Furthermore, 39 per cent are seeking out all-inclusive deals offering one upfront price (39 per cent), while another 39 per cent are setting up a vacation fund.

Economic headwinds may be softening this winter’s vacation spend for some. However: “We know from our research that 88 per cent of Canadians are still expecting to take a vacation this winter,” said Taylor.

“Even though times are a little hard, with people needing to stretch their dollar, it's still very, very important for them to take that vacation,” she said.

A Sunwing first

Sunwing’s punchy winter commercials are somewhat of an annual event, signalling the start of the busy booking season.

But it must be said: with the launch of its “Flynancial Advisor” campaign, never has Sunwing tipped its hat to travel advisors in such a public way.

The underlying essence of the spot reflects the thousands of Canadian travel advisors who help their clients “realize their vacation dreams, from coast to coast, every day,” said Taylor.

“We are in service of those travel advisors,” she said. “It's a very privileged relationship…this is the first campaign Sunwing has ever done that has made [travel advisors] the hero. There are only 600 people at the Sunwing office. We can only provide so many vacations, but if we are all together with the 30,000 travel advisors across the country, I think it’s special to celebrate them.”

Sunwing’s “Save More, Do More” positioning is still active. However, it’s now about engaging with the travel advisor community “as partners to ensure that Canadians can get the best value,” Taylor explained.

New destinations

As previously reported, Sunwing’s 2024-25 winter line-up features flights from 24 airports across Canada to 27 sun destinations.

Among those destinations are three new favourites — Tulum, Camaguey-Santa Lucia and San Andrés — which customers can visit via direct flights from Toronto and Montreal.

Sunwing’s regional gateways have also been expanded this season, with more options and frequencies out of Ontario and Quebec City, as well as parts of Western Canada.

It’s been a fascinating 12 months for Sunwing, which has undergone internal changes ever since the WestJet Group completed its purchase of the brand in the spring of last year.

One major development from this was the creation of Sunwing Vacations Group, a move that promised to unlock more value and savings for vacationing Canadians across the country.

The group encompasses Sunwing Vacations and WestJet Vacations, as well as U.S. tour operator Vacation Express, travel retail businesses SellOffVacations.com and Luxe Destination Weddings.

Additionally, WestJet's plans to consolidate Sunwing Airlines’ 737 aircraft with that of its mainline are still a go, with a completion date set for spring of next year.

The big news for Sunwing Vacations Group, this year, was launching WestJet Vacations Quebec – a new option for all-inclusive packages to sun destinations, and hundreds of resorts, that’s tailored to Quebec-based clients and their travel advisors.

Sunwing Vacations vs. WestJet Vacations

Is Sunwing entering a new “era?” Taylor thinks so.

“We are in a privileged position to be the home of some of the largest vacation brands in the country,” she said. “We will have to work with different brands – not just Sunwing, but also WestJet Vacations – and understand the differences between the two.”

What is the difference between Sunwing Vacations and WestJet Vacations?

Taylor sees “clear differences” between the two, citing geography (Sunwing’s hold in Eastern Canada, versus WestJet in the West, as well as nationally) and their unique product lines.

Citing internal data, there’s a “very small overlap” between the two brands, Taylor said.

“There’s less than 5,000 Canadians who took both a Sunwing and WestJet vacation over a previous two-year period,” she said. “They’re complementary brands and we are beginning that process of articulating the value proposition of both.”

WestJet Vacations, for one, offers more vacations that fall outside of the typical seven-day all-inclusive holiday, Taylor explained. The brand also offers locations beyond Mexico and the Caribbean, such as Las Vegas and other international cities.

“Both of these brands hold a tremendous place in Canadians' hearts for different reasons. We want to ensure we're staying true to that going forward,” she said.

As for the latest traveller behaviours, Taylor said more Canadians are choosing resorts that offer expansive entertainment and activity options.

“People are choosing locations that have vibrant external options and excursions as well,” she said, noting the role of Nexus, Sunwing’s in-destination partner.

She also sees a pick-up in destinations that are Instagram friendly – places that “offer a little more magic and adventure.”

Sunwing Loves Advisors Month

Dave Wright, Sunwing’s director of sales for Eastern Canada, was spotted yesterday in shades of tropical pink.

Speaking to PAX, he said Sunwing’s “Flynancial” concept was born out of recognizing travel advisors as “the true experts.”

“They have a wealth of knowledge and we want to make sure we appreciate their knowledge as they're booking clients on fantastic winter holidays,” Wright said.

To show its gratitude, Sunwing Vacations – building on Travel Agent Appreciation Day in May – has declared October as “Sunwing Loves Advisors Month,” offering exclusive perks on advisor bookings made throughout the month.

From now until Oct. 31, 2024, advisors can earn 4X STAR Points on bookings for travel between Jan. 1, 2025 and April 30, 2025.

Plus, advisors will be entered for a chance to win an all-inclusive vacation each week to either Riu Yucatan, Riu Montego Bay, Riu Emerald Bay or Riu Tequila. No entry is required – advisors will automatically be entered for having made a booking in the last six months.

“We've always loved travel agents, but we really, really, really do love travel agents, and we want to show our appreciation,” Wright said.

Sales are “very good”  

As for how the books are looking so far, things are “very good,” Wright said.

He said travel advisors should start having chats with their clients, especially those who want to get away for Christmas, New Years or March Break, because those departure dates are “really starting to fill up big time.”

Meanwhile, Sunwing’s groups business is “ginormously huge,” he said, noting the high demand for family, incentive and wedding trips.

To prepare, Sunwing has “more than 100 staff” in its Group departments in Toronto and Montreal, Wright revealed. (In comparison, the division had 45 to 50 people in pre-COVID times).

As Old Man Winter approaches, Wright is urging the trade to take advantage of Sunwing’s tools and training. “In a perfect world, every advisor would have been to every destination and hotel that they sell, but that's impossible,” he said.

One way that advisors can educate themselves is through Sunwing’s webinars. There’s more than 100 available on its agent website, in both English and French, and each 8 to 10-minute module reviews the destinations and hotels.

“Set a goal of doing 10 webinars over the next two weeks,” Wright said, sharing his advice for the trade. “Educate yourself on specific products or destinations you’ve never been to so you’re ready when clients ask.”

Tips contest & sale

As part of its new campaign, Sunwing is seeking value-driven, flynancial tips and tricks from the travel advisor community for a chance to be featured in the national Sunwing Flynancial Advisor campaign and entered for a chance to win a $250 Sunwing gift card.

Click here for the submission form. 

Also, in tandem with the launch of Sunwing Flynancial Advisor and a new Flynancial Advisory Hub, clients can take advantage of the Flynancial Sale, on now until Oct. 27, 2024, with weekly offers that closely align with key flynancial tips.

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