ACTA leads Spain journey for member advisors

About 100 Canadian travel advisors are now in the midst of discovering the tourism assets of an historic city and region in northern Spain, as part of this year’s ACTA International Destination Conference.

Picturesque Leon is the setting for a program of educational presentations, workshops and a supplier trade show that has taken place over the first two days of the schedule in the small city. It will be followed by overland travelling to see key tourism locations in the region of Castile and Leon. These include coach transfers to the city of Astorga and the wine region of Valdevimbre.

ACTA president Suzanne Acton-Gervais has been leading the mission, in partnership with ACTA support staff, Spain tourism officials, the Spanish  consul for  tourism affairs in Canada, DMCs and travel trade suppliers. Together, they number about 25.

On day one, Acton-Gervais reviewed some of her goals for ACTA, setting course for the success of travel retailers with an ambitious program of federal and provincial advocacy initiatives. These include, for example, to address issues of internal trade barriers and cabotage; to modernize the distribution infrastructure; and to support a sovereign Canadian trusted traveller program.

She will also address travel agent issues such as the need to process commissions at the time of final payment for travel arrangements and bookings; the necessity to protect commissions when travel is cancelled; and the need to not employ non-commissionable fees.

But most of the first morning was devoted to destination education. The assembled agents in Leon’s convention centre to hear speakers describe, for example, the protection and promotion of Spain’s world heritage cities; sustainable mobility in Spain by national rail operator Renfe; and the growing use and popularity of the paradores style of accommodations.

Agents then visited the San Marcos Paradore de Leon, a majestic former convent and palace dating from the 12th century that now houses a modern full-service hotel, complete with a dining room.

Day Two at the Leon conference centre was highlighted by a lively panel discussion on building opportunities for Canadian tourism to Spain and Castile and Leon. It featured insights by panel members Lupita Cardiel of Air Canada, Ken Doran of Collette, Maria Drueco, founder of Marianatha Tours and Ajay Karah, founder of Plan A Travel Solutions. The panel was moderated by ACTA’s Monica Leduc.

The panel was followed by a mini-trade show, during which travel advisors had the opportunity to meet with a gathering of regional travel trade product suppliers.