Tour Operators
Bannikin welcomes new owners
Bannikin is moving into a new chapter of ownership, with current company senior leadership successfully purchasing the travel and tourism consulting firm from co-founder Jillian Dickens. This sale marks a close to the acquisition process, started in mid-2021. “Since joining Bannikin, we have had the pleasure of co-creating value with amazing client-partners from near and far," said Trevor Jonas Benson, president and CEO, Bannikin. "We’re all very much looking forward to continuing important work within and beyond travel and tourism." “The future is bright for Bannikin, and I look...
Collette launching small-group Portugal tour in June 2025
Collette’s new “Portugal’s Old World Charms” tour will launch its first departure in June 2025. The small group Explorations journey features a maximum group size of just 24 travellers. “Portugal is a consistent hot spot for travel— beautiful beaches, hillside towns, food, wine, culture and more,” said Jaclyn Leibl-Cote, chief executive officer at Collette. “This journey was designed for the culturally curious traveller who enjoys a blend of guided and leisure time on tour, simple but high-quality cuisine and wine, and history. The pacing of this tour allows...
TDC takes 50 top agents to the South of France
Transat Distribution Canada (TDC) has invited approximately 50 of the most deserving travel professionals from its Transat Travel/ Voyages Transat agencies across the country on a seven-day Bravo Excellence Club reward trip to the South of France. The trip was also an opportunity for owners of franchised and affiliated agencies of the TDC network to allow their deserving staff to take part in this recognition trip. “I'm delighted to mark the return of our Bravo Excellence Club trips, which have taken an enforced break in recent years,” said Karine Gagnon, TDC's general manager. "Of...
Intrepid releases sustainability handbook for travel advisors
Intrepid Travel has released a new 12-page handbook - How to be a champion of change: An agent’s guide to understanding sustainable travel – a practical resource designed to enable travel advisors to communicate and sell sustainable travel. It contains facts, product case studies, easy-to-understand definitions and ideas to help agents demystify and talk about sustainability with their clients. The free to download handbook is the latest addition to the certified B Corp’s collection of open-source sustainability guides. “We created this handbook after hearing from travel...
Discover the World now representing Euroairlines
Discover the World has partnered with Euroairlines for representation in Canada, effective immediately. The company will be introducing trade partners to Euroairlines' product, selling routes of more than 25 airlines under their Q4 plate. The airline is available for trade partners to sell via their GDS under the Q4...
Intrepid appoints Celine Hurelle to lead global hotel expansion
Intrepid Travel has appointed French hotel veteran Celine Hurelle to lead its expansion into hotels and accommodation. This appointment is aimed at accelerating Intrepid’s strategic expansion plans into new verticals, which includes accommodation. Hurelle will report to CEO James Thornton and will work on Intrepid’s current accommodation initiatives. She will also work closely with Intrepid’s executive leadership across the world to identify new opportunities to acquire accommodation that supports the company’s responsible and local travel ethos. About...
Tauck launching “Smaller Group” tours in 2025
With Tauck’s Small Group tours now accounting for more than half of its non-cruise business each year, the company is leaning into its “small groups” success with the introduction of its new “Smaller Group” tours and departures. Where Tauck’s Small Group trips will continue to average 24 guests per departure, the new Smaller Group journeys will average just 15 guests. Tauck’s classic land journeys, by comparison, host an average of 35 to 44 guests. Tauck is piloting the new program in 2024, with the first Smaller Group departures of three tours (“America’s...
Voices of Travel: The Next Chapters: Bruce Poon Tip’s Eureka Moment
When you ask Bruce Poon Tip, founder of G Adventures, how he came up with the idea for G Adventures, he’ll tell you: “I guess like every good entrepreneur, I had my eureka moment.” Poon Tip continued: “I actually travelled to Asia that year and really refined the ideas of what I wanted to do because travel was very different in 1989, as you can imagine, and I came back and I quit my job and researched my first itineraries and I went out pounding the pavement for people to book on my first trips – all here in Toronto.” The rest, as the saying goes is history, and in this...