Western Canada “mirroring same growth as the East”: Exoticca show lands in Calgary

STORY BY RENEE TSANG

“I want to see some $10,000 cheques being cut in Calgary.”

Diana Winters, Exoticca's vice-president of sales for Ontario, held nothing back as she exuberantly shared the excitement, growth (and revenue) opportunities that are available to travel advisors who sell the “NextGen” tour operator’s itineraries.

According to Winters, “It’s all achievable,” she told a room full of travel advisors at Exoticca’s Fall Fling roadshow in Calgary Tuesday night (Oct. 22) at the Carriage House Inn.

“We want you to make as much money as you possibly can,” she said. “I remember the excitement when we launched this program last year and Alberto Constans, [Exoticca’s chief growth officer], was sweating because he saw the excitement. I want to see him sweat because he will be signing a lot of those cheques.”

READ MORE: Canada is “booming”: Exoticca kicks off fall roadshow in T.O., welcomes sold-out crowd

The rise of Exoticca since last year’s inaugural trade event series is progressing towards an ambitious goal of becoming Canada’s largest tour operator.

A young company that started more than 10 years ago, Exoticca entered Canada in 2019 and launched a B2B strategy shortly after. It’s a strategy that has led to exponential success.

Sales in Canada have doubled in the past year, the company says, and show no signs of slowing down with an estimated $300 million in sales projected for 2024.

From Barcelona’s head office, Mareike Pfenning, director of growth, came straight from the airport to share her excitement about Exoticca’s success in Western Canada.

Speaking to a full house of more than 160 agents in attendance, she revealed that sales through travel advisors “are growing 150 per cent year-over-year and Alberta has the highest number of sales for the size of its territory.”

“The sales in this area have shown steep growth since Sharon [Wilson] came on board,” she said.

With more than 300 itineraries in more than 70 countries, Exoticca’s top-selling destinations include Portugal, South Africa, Ecuador, Peru, Morocco, Italy and Greece while Spain, Japan, Egypt and Jordan remain ever-popular favourites.

Mirroring same growth as East

“We are mirroring the same growth as the East,” said Sharon Wilson, Exoticca's director of sales, Alberta and the Prairies, speaking to PAX at the event, sharing a Western Canada perspective. “It can be a bit more challenging as there are not as many flight options but we are holding our own out here.”

Wilson attributed the growth to travel advisors and enhanced connectivity out of Regina.

With a generous commission structure to start, Exoticca’s Loyalty Program is robust and designed to help fuel advisors’ growth.

Commission is paid on all travel components, including air, optional excursions and add-ons. Commission is also paid upfront, with 60 per cent paid out within 30 days of deposit, and is not subject to recall if plans change.

Advisors can tap into additional earnings through booking bonuses, theme of the month promotions, loyalty and milestone booking bonuses up to $10,000 while unlocking higher travel advisor discounts for personal travel.

After securing a €60 million investment through global investment platform Quadrille Capital, Exoticca remains dedicated to the trade, Pfenning said, outlining plans to provide more product and tools within the company’s advisor platform.

Exciting new tours include destinations such as Australia and New Zealand, island-hopping in Hawaii and Greece, Netherlands and Belgium, Mauritius and Southern India.

New tools & programs

Enhancements to Exoticca’s group functions have also been made, and advisors can now book multiple classes of air.

The newest tool is a Travel Agent Website, coming in February 2025, that will allow agents to go to market with a customized page featuring their logo, picture (or avatar), contact information and personalized link.

The Family Exoticca Program offers 16 new options ideal for travelling with kids and are set up for multi-generational groups.

These group are capped at 20 passengers for a better experience and include enriching experiences for all ages and fitness levels.

Hotels have family-size rooms in superior category with appropriate amenities. Itineraries include more half-board options (i.e. more meals to satisfy hungry children) and offer the perfect balance between sightseeing and free time.

Winters admits the growth Exoticca has seen in Canada caught the team off guard, but shares that the direction of their success is driven by travel advisors.

“The growth has been exponential. The changes have been crazy,” she said. “But we have evolved and we have learned. Changes have happened because of feedback and suggestions from every single one of you. And this is paramount because the message we gave last year is the same and stronger this year. That is that you are an integral part of our growth and you are a part of our history. You are shaping this company. So how we want it to run and how we need it to be is exactly how it will be if you tell us how you want it to be.”

The evening ended on a high note with a variety of prizes, including bottles of wine, gift cards, and Exoticca gift vouchers. One lucky winner walked away with an all-expenses paid Exoticca trip for one.

The team continues its show in Vancouver tonight (Oct. 24) before moving to Eastern Canada next.

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