ACTA announces Leadership Award winners; Avalon hosting 2023 summit on the Rhine

The Association and Canadian Travel Agencies (ACTA) capped off its 2022 Travel Industry Summit at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on Wednesday (Sept. 14) by announcing the winners of its Leadership Awards.

The winner of ACTA’s Leisure Travel Agent Award is Angela Harrison-Mowbray, CTC, of Travel Escapes Vacations, Revelstoke, BC.

ACTA's Leadership Award Corporate Travel Agent Award recognizes a travel agent who delivers excellent service to clients, living up to expectations and demands in a timely and efficient manner.

The individual must have an exceptional understanding of client's needs from a global perspective, including transportation, destination knowledge, policies, visas, and many other travel requirements.

The winner of this year’s Corporate Travel Agent Award is Monica Voigt, from Marlin Travel on Richmond Road in Ottawa, ON.

ACTA’s Leadership Award Tomorrow’s Leader Award recognizes a young professional who shows potential as a leader of our industry.

The individual will have a keen interest in issues that influence the future of travel and is a role model for other young professionals.

Shari Tucker from Love the Way You Travel, Halifax, NS, is the 2022 winner of this award.

ACTA’s Ches Chard Education Award was established to honour the memory of Ches Chard whose own commitment to professionalism led to the development of educational programs within the travel industry.

His influence was also instrumental establishing the first travel school in the Atlantic provinces.

Recipients of this award can be individuals, a travel agency or a group of travel agencies that demonstrate a significant commitment to professionalism, education and training, and excellence in human resources management.

Congratulations to Patricia Marques, CTM from CAA North and East, who picked up this award.

ACTA’s Gerald Heifetz Advocacy Award was established in memory of lawyer Gerald Heifetz who was instrumental in the founding of ACTA and CITC.

He also established many of the laws that currently govern the Canadian travel and airline industries.

The recipient of this reward must be an individual or organization that has, in the recent year, had a significant and positive impact on the role, status and sustainability of the Canadian Travel Industry.

The recipient of ACTA’s 2022 Gerald Heifetz Advocacy Award is Shalene Dudley, CEO, owner and lead Destination Wedding and Group specialist at Latitude Concierge Travel Ltd. In Burlington, Ontario.

ACTA’s annual summit is happening in select Canadian cities this month.

The events bring together travel advisors and industry leaders for a day of panel discussions, breakout sessions and presentations that revolve around the latest travel industry research, insights, trends and best practices.

The summit will next travel to Richmond, B.C., on Sept. 20 and then Laval, Q.C., on Sept. 28.

ACTA River Cruise Summit 2023

At today's closing session, the ACTA team announced that next year’s summit, happening Oct. 21-28, 2023, will take place on a river cruise from Amsterdam to Basel along the Rhine river with Avalon Waterways.

Stéphanie Bishop, managing director at the Globus family of brands, said the 2023 ACTA River Cruise Summit will be the first year Avalon has does something of this magnitude in Canada.

“We wanted to show you our 100 per cent commitment,” Bishop said, addressing summit attendees on Wednesday. “We believe in the travel advisor, we believe in helping you really learn the product and experiencing an extraordinary journey. We can’t wait to host this experience."

Throughout the seven-day “Romantic Rhine” itinerary, travel advisors will not only have the chance to experience the Avalon difference on ships. 

They will also have have the choice of “Classic,” “Discovery” and “Active” excursions there will be onboard workshops and special events to ignite inspiration and business opportunities. 

ACTA President Wendy Paradis noted that the entire ship will “100 per cent be Canadian travel agents.”

“By spending just one week with us, travel advisors will be set-up for success for years to come,” Paradis later said in a statement. “Recognizing that river cruising is the fastest growing travel style across the globe, it’s clear that the new wave in cruising is on the world’s rivers. Through our first River Cruise Summit with Avalon Waterways, we are ready to show travel advisors why river cruising is a wonderful way for them to really grow their business.” 

Registration for the ACTA River Cruise Summit is expected to open in mid-November and spots will be provided on a first-come, first-serve basis, once all registration criteria are met. 

Stay tuned as PAX brings you more coverage from ACTA’s 2022 Travel Industry Summit in Toronto.

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