One hundred and fifty Canadian travel advisors are setting off this evening on one of the most anticipated fam trips of the year – the ACTA International Destination Conference in the Azores islands, 1,500 km off the coast of Portugal in the mid-Atlantic.
Taking place on two of the nine Azores islands, São Miguel and Terceira, the eight-day trip features a curated itinerary that will allow advisors to connect with local providers, improve product knowledge, develop social media business building skills, and immerse themselves in local culture.
ACTA President Wendy Paradis and her team are taking 150 Canadian advisors to the Azores for an International Destination Conference. (Photo Credit: Bruce Parkinson)
“Azores is renowned for its natural beauty and cultural richness, a unique destination that is becoming more popular for Canadian travellers interested in authentic and quality travel experiences,” said Wendy Paradis, ACTA President.
“It will be the perfect backdrop for fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange among travel advisors across Canada in an international destination.”
The large group will fly from YYZ aboard SATA Azores Airlines, the only carrier offering nonstop service from Canada to the to the archipelago. Flights from Toronto to Ponta Delgada operate year round. This past summer the airline offered daily service from Toronto to Ponta Delgada and twice weekly to Terceira. From Montreal, seasonal weekly nonstop flights to Ponta Delgada began in April and increased to 4x weekly from June through September.
ACTA International Destination Conference attendees will enjoy single occupancy accommodation. The size of the group means we will be spread over two hotels in São Miguel and six on the smaller island of Terceira.
On a pre-trip webinar, Ilda Raposo, Head of Markets for SATA, said the Canadian travellers are in for a treat. “It is as beautiful as you have seen in pictures and videos,” she said. “Nothing is fake.”
After arriving early Tuesday morning, participants will spend the day getting oriented and refreshed, before a welcome dinner. On the next two days, mornings will be spent learning about the destination’s product, from more than 30 local DMCs and from Canadian suppliers promoting the Azores, including Collette, Globus and Discover The World Canada.
Visit Portugal Director Canada Inês Almeida Garrett promoting the Azores trip at the ACTA Summit in Toronto. (Photo Credit: Bruce Parkinson)
Inês Almeida Garrett, Director Canada, Visit Portugal, will accompany the ACTA group and promote Portugal – both mainland and islands – as a year-round tourism destination for Canadians.
Judging from the online chatter about the trip from group members, there’s a ton of excitement. For most, it will be their first time visiting a destination forged by volcanic action and discovered by early European explorers in the 15th-century.
The itinerary includes experiences like whale watching, eating a meal cooked by geothermal springs, visiting vineyards and guided walks in places like the Historic Centre of Angra do Heroísmo on Terceira, recognized in 1983 by UNESCO World Heritage Site.
TravelPulse Canada is along for the trip to chronicle and share with advisors unable to attend.
“We are so excited that so many ACTA members are going to be joining the ACTA team in Azores,” said Paradis. “We are dedicated to lifelong experiential learning for our travel advisor members. I believe you’re going to have the experience of a lifetime.”