Merger offers more medical conference travel options

A new merger between two travel agencies – one based in Ontario and the other in BC – will mean increased opportunities for Canadian healthcare professionals looking to expand their knowledge with educational getaways.

Uniglobe Adventure House Travel, based in Oakville, Ontario has joined forces with Vancouver’s Sea Courses Cruises, a physician-founded agency specializing in escapes for healthcare workers who are continuing their education, including doctors and dentists. The two agencies are both members of the Ensemble Travel Group.

Uniglobe Adventure House Travel was founded in 1961, with divisions offering corporate, leisure and group travel, while Sea Courses began in 1995, after Dr. Martin Gerretsen (who serves as Sea Courses’ director of continuing health education) arranged his 10th medical school reunion and turned the business model into a travel agency.

“This is a coming together of two leaders in their fields. Sea Courses is the largest company of its kind in Canada and boasts very high repeat business, the ultimate indicator of customer satisfaction,” Ron Dawick, president of Uniglobe Adventure House Travel, said in a statement.

Harvey Strydhorst, president of Sea Courses, told PAX that the merger will allow the company to reach an increased number of clients across Canada, while expanding its product offerings. Currently, Sea Courses offers educational cruises for the healthcare sector (with several taking place each month in various destinations around the world) and plans are in place to introduce land-based sessions at resorts in the Caribbean and other locations.

“It’s really exciting for us to be merging with a full-service agency where we can do additional services, such as air, across the country,” Strydhorst said. “We’ll also be expanding the continuing education meetings to resorts, so we’ll be able to do more than just cruises.”

In addition to Canadians, Strydhorst said that the conferences (which are offered in English, although some workshops held during the cruises have been offered in French and Spanish) also draw some doctors and dentists from countries including the U.S., Australia and the U.K. On average, the cruises draw between 50 to 100 participants depending on space – and with plans to host the escapes at resorts, more attendees can be accommodated, Strydhorst said.

And while Sea Courses has booked clients from across Canada through its Vancouver headquarters, Strydhorst said that an office in Ontario with Uniglobe will expand its reach even further into one of the country's strongest markets.

“There’s a significant client base in Ontario, based on the number of healthcare professionals there, even compared to British Columbia,” he said.

More information can be found at www.uniglobeadvhouse.com and www.seacourses.com.