Let’s talk about the elephant in the room.
During a jungle themed opening celebration for TravelPress Live! last night sponsored by AmaWaterways, Ella the elephant walked through the party, mingled with attendees, posed for pictures and even showcased some dance moves. It was truly wild!
The festivities set the tone for what to expect today with the opening of the Show Floor featuring 20 interactive activations and the chance to connect with over 50 suppliers bringing their products to life from a taste of what it’s like to set sail with Riverside Luxury Cruises to a firsthand look at experiencing Porter Airlines from Montreal Metropolitan Airport – but in Toronto.
“This event has been a vision for a long time. Seeing it come to life with the support of incredible partners and travel advisors is truly inspiring,” noted Mitchell McClung, publisher, Baxter Media. “Thank you for believing in this event and helping us create something new for the Canadian travel industry. We genuinely believe TravelPress Live! represents a new chapter for travel trade events in Canada.”
Day 1 featured panel discussions delving into trends, challenges and opportunities in cruising, river cruising, expedition cruising and wellness travel.
“Not only was Day 1 of TravelPress Live! insightful, covering industry trends, consumer engagement, and supplier perspectives, but it also showcased a fresh, fun, and highly engaging approach to travel advisor education,” shared Stuart Morcombe, Manager, Business Development and Network Support at Transat Distribution Canada. “A great reminder that our industry continues to evolve, and the importance of staying connected and informed.”
“It’s very impressive, innovative and I love the way that it’s been structured,” added Michele Martinson of Aeromexico. “I love it.”
Meanwhile, Trafalgar’s Jenni Berg noted, “I’m so impressed with the whole set-up. It’s great to connect with travel advisors and colleagues.”
Following an outdoor brunch, Day 1 kicked off with a talk by Toronto-based restaurateur, chef and storyteller Trevor Lui, the author of the bestselling cookbook, Double Happiness, which celebrates the evolution of Chinese Canadian cuisine.
Lui noted that agents shouldn’t underestimate the allure of food when planning clients’ vacations, with 53% of travellers siting food tourism as a primary influence when choosing a destination; 77% saying they browse local food aisles as an experience while travelling, 80% seeking to explore local food and drink and 24% of travellers seeking a food festival or another type of food event while holidaying.
The food show Top Chef at one point generated huge interest in Toronto by featuring it, Lui reported. Lui – who recounted his own varied travels during his talk – said interesting dining can pop up in non-mainstream spots for vacationers, noting he once sought out a Las Vegas-area Mexican-American community far from that city’s lively downtown. The neighbourhood had a large outdoor market and Mexican influences, he reported. “It felt like I was in Guadalajara,” Lui reported. Migrations have often lead to culinary traits being found far from the lands of their origins, said Lui, who added he’s found Chinese restaurants in countries far from China, and also Mexican food influences in China, a result of Chinese who worked in Mexico later returning home and bringing some of the reminders of the Latin American country with them.
Lui praised a number of destinations he’s visited, among them Puerto Rico, which he labelled a “really cool” Latin island with American influences. Lui was impressed by southern Spain having both Spanish and Moorish influences, and said the dining in Hong Kong “was incredible.” Lui said people can expect to encounter interesting experiences while traveling if they’re curious: “There are surprises in every city,” said Lui, noting good food can be found in 7-11s in Japan.
Lui was introduced to the Travel Press Live audience by Baxter Media’s Vicki Zeppa, who described him as a “passionate advocate for representation and cultural storytelling in Canada’s food scene.”
As yesterday was World Tapas Day, The Tourist Office of Spain used the particularly suitable day to highlight a famed part of Spanish culture. Isabel Martin, who oversees the office’s Canadian operation, paid tribute to the distinctively smallish food offerings.
And she added that people in this country are appreciative of dining options in her homeland. “Canadians sometimes go just for the cuisine,” she said.
The tourist office brought chefs from Spain to serve tapas to those attending Travel Press Live. Growing Canada-Spain air service has Martin upbeat about Spain’s performance in the Canadian market, with Air Canada, WestJet, Air Transat and Iberia all having decided to link the two countries. Canadians can not only fly directly to mainland Spanish cities but the island destinations of Palma de Mallorca and Tenerife.
“This year we are going to have 17 direct flights from Canada to Spain. This is really a huge deal for us because in 2022 we just had eight direct flights,” Martin said.
The Cruising Beyond the Mainstream panel featured David Marathakis, Senior Director, Americas, Groups, & Charters at Quark Expeditions; Juna Ueda, General Manager, Sales for Scenic Group; Neil Dudley, Business Development Manager – Southern and Central Ontario for AmaWaterways and Patricia Di Benedetto, Director of Sales, Canada, for Explora Journeys uncover insights on luxury, expedition and river cruises.
The New Luxury: Wellness, Longevity & Meaningful Travel led by Virtuoso’s Ryan Fraser featured Aerin Chauncey, Director of Sales, Canada for Kensington Tours; Jakki Prince, Chief Epic Officer at Prince Adventures Travel; Jennifer Halboth, CEO at Riverside Luxury Cruises, Americas; and Jordana Botting Sales Director, Canada Crystal and Abercrombie & Kent. The session delved into trends and selling tips for luxury, wellness and meaningful travel.
In a world were things constantly go wrong, Rebuilding Trust in a Shaky World addressed everything from Jamaica’s resilience to how the Mexican Caribbean overcame the bad news cycle associated with the Feb. incident in Puerto Vallarta. The candid discussion featured Angella Bennett, Regional Director of Tourism for Canada for the Jamaica Tourist Board; Brett Walker, Chairman of the Canadian Association of Tour Operators (CATO) and Dave Cecco, representing the Mexican Caribbean, but who was also able to provide insights based on his tenure at WestJet.
The last sessions of the day was the State of the Industry: Supplier Perspective, which discussed challenges, strategies and trends in the travel industry. Providing informative insights were Ines Almeida Garrett, Director, Canada for Visit Portugal; Michael Curmi, Managing Director, Sales & Distribution at Porter Airlines and Ron Lonsdale, Vice President at Collette.
The festival Show Floor, which features interactive and engaging components like Collette’s Perfume Bar, gets underway today, marking another exciting chapter at TravelPress Live! There’s also another line up of great speakers and panelists. For the agenda, click here.
