More than 200 consultants, managers and suppliers from Marlin Travel agencies held their annual conference on September 11 and 12 in Western Canadas with the Power of You as the theme. This meeting was a huge success.
“We have a fabulous team that gives our customers great service in big cities and regional centres alike,” said Yves Lalumière, TDC Vice-President and General Manager. “I am proud to see the team spirit that motivates us, along with the passion and determination we show when the time comes to help travellers plan and set off on their dream holidays. None of our competitors can say the same.”
Several presentations and workshops enabled participants to enhance their knowledge, share their experiences and rally around what make the TDC network unique. The subjects covered included the AIR MILES® Reward Program, the personal vacation website and a relationship marketing program. Training workshops dealing with staff mobilization, the importance of building a network of contacts and the “WOW effect” (a way to stand out and to improve customer satisfaction) were all a great success.
Themed “The Power of You,” the 2010 Western Regional Conference was the largest in the history of this event. The Conference featured a series of speakers, panels, and workshops that addressed what makes TDC the leading retail network in the country, including Western Canada. Featured session topics included business strategy and growth opportunities; social media, marketing and sales; customer-retention marketing and personal vacation website tools, and the partnership with the AIR MILES Reward Program. A special Transat Cruises Panel Discussion featured representatives from the industry’s leading cruise line operators. Author and motivator Nolan W. Burris wase the keynote speaker at the "The Power of You!" session.
Transat executives took the opportunity to meet travel agents and share their points of view on the company and the tourism industry in general.
Transat President and Chief Executive Officer Jean-Marc Eustache gave a much-commented-upon talk. Speaking about the impact of tourism in the world economy and the constantly growing number of travellers, he emphasized that the profession of travel agent is here to stay. Tomorrow’s customers, flooded with information from wide-ranging sources, will need competent consultants. “It is up to us to establish a relationship of confidence with them,” Mr. Eustache stated. He also pointed to the importance of the role played by travel agents and TDC in the Transat family. The company is a major tour operator but also encompasses Canada’s biggest network of travel agencies.
Michael DiLollo, President, Transat Tours Canada TTC), underlined the importance of co-operation between TTC tour operators and the distribution network, as well as his team’s commitment to pursuing and enhancing its service and programs.
Three regional annual conferences of Transat Distribution Canada of some 1 000 travel agency consultants and managers are held across Canada : Quebec, August 28-29, Vancouver, September 11-12 and Toronto and September 18-19.