Direct Travel celebrates the impact of the leisure community at Direct Access 2026

Community impact, innovation, advisor excellence and the future of leisure travel was on the agenda at Direct Travel’s recent Direct Access Leisure Conference in Toronto.

Almost 400 attendees — including just over 200 leisure travel advisors and approximately 85 strategic partners – were on hand for the three-day event to celebrate achievements, strengthen relationships and explore opportunities shaping the future of leisure travel.

Key conference highlights included a community give-back initiative supporting Water First and The Intrepid Foundation, an exclusive preview of Direct Travel’s Anywhere platform, recognition of top-performing advisors and supplier partners through the annual GEM Awards, and the announcement of next year’s conference destination.

Stephen Smith, EVP, Leisure, Direct Travel, observed that: “Direct Access is an amazing opportunity for our partners and advisors t meet face to face and discuss ways to mutually grow their business. An added bonus in the incredible culture it builds within our organization.”

The conference opened with Direct Impact, Direct Travel’s annual give-back initiative, supporting Water First and The Intrepid Foundation.

In lieu of providing a traditional conference memento, Direct Travel donated $2,500 to Water First and committed to matching attendee donations dollar-for-dollar, up to $10,000.

This year’s initiative focused on supporting Water First’s work with Indigenous communities across Canada to address critical water challenges through education, training and community-led solutions.

The effort was further supported through Direct Travel’s partnership with The Intrepid Foundation, a global organization that connects travelers with opportunities to support causes focused on community development, humanitarian response and environmental stewardship.

Rene Schneeberger, SVP Leisure Supplier Relations and Revenue Optimization, said that: “In focusing on water, Direct Travel is recognizing the importance of this essential building block for human existence.”

The endeavour reflects Direct Travel’s ongoing commitment to responsible travel and creating positive impact beyond the journeys it helps plan and is just one of the ongoing Direct Impact initiatives taking place throughout the year.

One of the most anticipated moments of the conference was an exclusive preview of Anywhere, Direct Travel’s newly launched end-to-end leisure advisor platform.

Attendees had the opportunity to experience a live demonstration of the platform and learn how Anywhere is designed to simplify workflows, improve operational efficiency, enhance commission visibility and provide advisors with a more connected technology experience.

Built specifically for leisure travel advisors, Anywhere reflects Direct Travel’s ongoing commitment to investing in tools that help advisors spend less time navigating systems and more time serving clients. Anywhere is set to launch in Q2 of 2027.

Rebecca Adams, VP Data Insights and Strategy, explained that: “Travel advisors don’t all work the same way, and we shouldn’t expect them to. With Anywhere, we’re creating an experience that adapts to the advisor, rather than asking the advisor to adapt to the technology.”

The conference’s annual GEM Awards recognized outstanding achievement across Direct Travel’s leisure advisor network, celebrating advisors who deliver exceptional client experiences, business results and industry expertise.

This year, Joelle Goldman, VP Host Services and Luxury Hotel Programs and Julie Skinner, SVP, Leisure Sales recognized 166 advisors across its Sapphire, Diamond and Ruby tiers, reflecting the strength, professionalism and continued growth of its advisor community.

• 111 Sapphire Advisors were recognized for consistently delivering exceptional service and expertise to their clients.
• 29 Diamond Advisors were recognized for reaching the pinnacle of success within the travel industry through outstanding performance, leadership and commitment to excellence.
• 26 Ruby Advisors were recognized for demonstrating the epitome of travel advisory excellence. Reserved for the elite few, Ruby Advisors are visionary leaders who set the standard for success across the industry.

The continued growth of Direct Travel’s highest-performing advisor tiers underscores the increasing demand for expert travel guidance, and the value advisors bring to today’s travelers. Most notably, the number of Ruby Advisors increased from 17 in 2025 to 26 in 2025, representing a 53% year-over-year increase in Direct Travel’s highest advisor tier.

Direct Travel also recognized supplier partners whose collaboration, innovation and commitment contributed significantly to advisor success throughout the year through its annual GEM Partner Awards.

The awards celebrate partner organizations that embody Direct Travel’s BOLD values and make a meaningful impact on advisors, clients and the broader travel community.

Rebecca Adams, VP Data Insights and Strategy, said: “We honour our partners through the lens of Direct Travel’s values. We pride ourselves on our values being the foundation of how we work together, serve our clients and partners, and grow as a company. They reflect who we are today and who we aspire to be as we shape the future of travel.”

2026 GEM Partner Award Winners

• The Spark Award – G Adventures
• The Behind-the-Scenes Hero Award – Tauck
• The Glue Award – Globus Family of Brands
• The Heart of Hospitality Award – AmaWaterways
• The Excellence in Partnership Award – AmaWaterways

The conference concluded with the announcement that Direct Access 2027 will take place Oct. 4 to Oct. 6, 2027, at AVA Resort Cancun in Cancun, Mexico.

The event will continue Direct Travel’s tradition of bringing leisure advisors and supplier partners together to celebrate success, strengthen relationships and explore opportunities shaping the future of leisure travel.

Gerard Bellino, President, Leisure, said that: “We have had a year of solid growth despite its turbulence; our advisors continue to shine for their clients. 2027 looks like another strong year in luxury leisure travel and I am so proud to work with an incredible team supporting so many talented travel advisors. I look forward to celebrating them at Direct Access a year from now.”