Travel Marketplace Takes Canada

Cheryl Rosen, travelmarketreport.com
At the general session, ACTA president Wendy Paradis took a retrospective look at the 40 years since ACTA was founded – noting that in 1977 Star Wars was the top movie and will be again this year; Trudeau was the prime minister then and also in 2017. But many things have changed. This year travel agents are back in style – “the explosion of information on the Internet is so overwhelming that working with a professional agent is the best option for travelers.”

“Travelers need travel agents because we are real people, we’ve been there, we get more for your money, we’re there for your safety and security, we’re the library of information, the accounting expert and the researcher; we do it all,” agreed Louise Gardiner, senior director of the Carlson Wagonlit Travel associate program in Canada. “And we are relationship masters. We are great with suppliers and we are great with customers. It’s important for you to know that you are special.” FULL STORY

Fergal McAlinden, paxnews.com
This year's Travel MarketPlace took place this week at Toronto’s International Plaza Hotel & Conference Centre, welcoming over 550 attendees during two whirlwind days of educational workshops, trade show exhibits and networking opportunities, with a cocktail reception closing proceedings on Wednesday evening.

Anne Marie Moebes, co-publisher, Travel Market Report, told PAX that this year’s event, which marked Travel MarketPlace’s fourth appearance in Toronto, was its most successful yet, with over 400 agents in attendance. The value of the conference to travel professionals, she noted, was clear. FULL STORY AND PHOTOS