Travelbrands thanks agents, launches exclusive contest
GREG COATES
(Photo above: TravelBrands president Frank DeMarinis with Gina Marcone of Transat Travel, winner of a million Loyalty Points)
TravelBrands kicked off a series of cross-Canada “Agent Appreciation” events on April 1 in Toronto, hosting approximately 700 Toronto-area agents and launching an exclusive contest for agents, all while showcasing the company’s latest changes.
Other Agent Appreciation shows were held in Ottawa, Quebec City, Montreal, Edmonton, and Vancouver.
To mark the shows, TravelBrands launched an exclusive contest in which one lucky agent can win $10,000 for themselves, plus $10,000 for their agency. Agents must book at least two TravelGenie packages in the GDS between April 1 and June 30 to be eligible to win. Every additional booking serves as an additional entry.
“We’ve updated many aspects of our business, and these shows are a great way to showcase all the new things TravelBrands offers to help agents work smarter, not harder,” said Frank DeMarinis, president and CEO, TravelBrands. “The Toronto show was a great success filled with supportive agents and partners.”
DeMarinis sat down with Travel Courier and said the recent acquisition of Red Label Vacations Inc. – which operates TravelBrands – by H.I.S. Co., Ltd. will mean little, if any, changes for agents.
DeMarinis is staying on as president and CEO and has his executive team in place.
“It’s business as usual. I’m staying. I love what I do, and I love the travel agents in Canada and want to continue what we’re doing,” he said. “Agents can continue to book with confidence. As always, we have their best interests in mind.”
H.I.S. is a publicly traded multi-national travel company based in Japan. With more than 12,000 employees worldwide, it has a presence in 158 cities across 70 countries.
Following a VIP partner event at the Toronto show, TravelBrands announced the agent winner of one million Loyalty Points – Gina Marcone from Transat Travel in St. Catherines, Ont., who arrived in style (by limo) and was presented with a cheque of one million loyalty points.
TravelBrands introduced a range of new technology to help agents with their bookings. Agents now have the option of offering a monthly payment plan to their clients. Monthly payments are offered on all land and TravelGenie bookings with a booking value of $700 or more booked outside of seven days from departure. On approval, clients will be able to split their payment over an 11-month period.
TravelBrands also unveiled new innovative fraud technology. Agents can use TravelBrands’ new credit card fraud application to detect and mitigate fraudulent charges.