TravelBrands Kicks Off Fourth Annual Agent Appreciation

WHY IT RATES: The TravelBrands’ Agent Appreciation series is designed to showcase all of the new things TravelBrands is offering to help agents work smarter, not harder.—Mia Taylor, TravelPulse Senior Writer

TravelBrands, a leader in the Canadian travel industry, hosted its Agent Appreciation and VIP event in Toronto showcasing the latest changes to TravelBrands.

This was the inaugural show of TravelBrands’ Agent Appreciation series. The remaining shows will run until April 10 throughout Canada including Ottawa, Quebec City, Montreal, Edmonton, and Vancouver. To celebrate the shows, TravelBrands is also hosting an exclusive contest for agents.

“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,” says Frank DeMarinis, president & CEO, TravelBrands. “The Toronto show was a great success filled with supportive agents and partners. I am looking forward to the rest of our Agent Appreciation Events throughout Canada.”

To launch the shows, TravelBrands hosted its VIP event with multiple partners. The organization then proceeded to announce the winner of the 1 million Loyalty Points contest. Travel agent Gina Marcone from Transat Travel in St. Catherines, Ont., arrived in style and was presented with a cheque of 1 million loyalty points.

At the first Agent Appreciation Event, TravelBrands introduced a range of new technology to help agents with their bookings. Travel 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 unveiled its innovative fraud technology. Travel agents can use TravelBrands’ new credit card fraud application to detect and mitigate fraudulent charges. The application uses the information associated with each booking and gives a score to determine the risk of fraud.

This year, TravelBrands also expanded its SoftVoyage partnership by offering TravelGenie packages through SIREV.

Now, travel agents can build custom packages for their clients to worldwide destinations using their existing GDS. This means more choices, total flexibility and endless possibilities for travelers.

To celebrate, one lucky travel agent can win $10,000 for themselves plus $10,000 for the agency. Agents must book at least two TravelGenie packages in the GDS between April 1 and June 30, 2019, to be eligible to win. Every additional booking serves as an additional entry.

During the Toronto show, TravelBrands displayed its new design for cruise bookings, air bookings, and invoices. For cruises, agents can send quotes, view cancellation schedules, plus package air with cruises. For air bookings, TravelBrands is offering more tools to self-serve agents including voids and canceling online and customizable options like meal plans. TravelBrands’ invoices have an updated look that is more visually appealing.

Exotik Journeys is now offering select vacations and long-stay programs online. Exotik Journeys also announced its new “Bucket List Vacations” catalog. The Bucket List Vacations are a collection of epic must-do travel items. The vacations vary from visiting the Great Wall of China to eating the perfect plate of spaghetti in Italy.

As the Agent Appreciation Events continue on throughout Canada, travel professionals can discover the benefits of working with TravelBrands. Travel agents wanting to learn more about TravelBrands’ newest offerings can also visit travelbrandsaccess.com.

SOURCE: TravelBrands press release