May 1 marks National Travel Advisor Day this year, kicking off a month of agent appreciation. And, as in years past, many travel companies and organizations are celebrating the occasion with special incentives and promotions for their advisor partners.
Following are a few of the special offers available to travel advisors as part of the celebration.
Note: This story was last updated on June 3, 2024.
African Travel, Inc.
Luxury safari operator African Travel, Inc. has announced that travel advisors will be rewarded with a $50 e-gift card for every new custom safari booking made and deposited from May 1-31. Incentives will be distributed in June.
What’s more, travel advisors can participate in the African Travel Educational Program by joining fam trips scheduled throughout the year. They can also explore Africa with loved ones thanks to a 30% discount on all 2024 tailor-made itineraries (40 unique journeys); after securing five or more bookings, advisors can travel with three guests.
“On Global Travel Advisor Day, we acknowledge that 92% of our business comes from travel advisors, and we consider this relationship to be sacred,” said Sherwin Banda, president of African Travel, Inc. “We protect it every single day by working closely with advisors and would like to express our gratitude for all their efforts.”
Travel advisors can join a fam trip with African Travel, Inc.
Credit: 2024 African Travel, Inc.ALG Vacations
ALG Vacations (ALGV) is kicking off its advisor appreciation lineup on May 1 with Carson Kressley, TV personality and ALGV’s official Travel Advisor Champion, who has invited 10 agents to join him in New York City’s Times Square to unveil a travel advisor appreciation billboard.
Throughout May, ALGV will also offer giveaways and prizes — for a chance to win, advisors simply need to book with any ALGV brand to earn up to three entries per reservation. (Advisors must be ALGVPro-certified to the eligible.) Agents receive a base entry with any booking, get a bonus entry when including Travel Protection Plus and receive another bonus entry for bookings with an Exclusive Nonstop Vacation Flight (ENVF). Prizes include 10 getaway giveaways, essential travel kits, “wellbeing mystery bundles” and more. ALGV’s social channels will also offer chances to win more mystery prizes.
Finally, ALGV is offering sale-boosting specials for advisors, who can book through May 30, 2024, for travel through April 30, 2025, and offer clients up to $200 off ENVFs, hotel discounts over 75%, Alamo car rental savings, ALGV Exclusive Perks and more.
AmaWaterways
AmaWaterways has announced new fam opportunities for travel advisors, a booking incentive and chances to win a complimentary river cruise. The line also unveiled new Seminar on the River cruises hosted by business development managers and members of the leadership team (agents can visit the Travel Advisor Portal to apply), and additional fam cruise dates into November. For the first time, it is offering special fam rates for agents to experience its Secrets of Egypt & the Nile itinerary on departures between May 3 and June 21 — a limited-time opportunity.
All travel advisors attending AmaWaterways’ Webinar Wednesdays during the month of May will be entered into a weekly drawing to win a European river cruise for 2. And, on June 4, agents who have attended all five sessions and created a co-branded website with the line will have the chance to win a cruise for two onboard AmaMagna.
As another show of gratitude, AmaWaterways will give advisors a $25 gift card for each new reservation made in May for travel in 2024, and $50 for new bookings departing in July, August or November 2024.
American Society of Travel Advisors
The American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) is offering members the chance to win a slew of prizes during a Facebook Live event on May 1 at 11 a.m. Pacific/2 p.m. Eastern, including a grand prize of a four-night stay at the new Sandals Saint Vincent and the Grenadines resort. Agents also have the chance to win an AmaWaterways European river cruise, registration for ASTA’s sold-out 2025 River Cruise Expo in Vienna, registration to ASTA’s 2025 Travel Advisor Conference (available to five winners), registration to ASTA’s 2025 Caribbean Showcase (available to three winners), a set of two roundtrip flights on Southwest Airlines, a $150 BWH Hotels gift card and more.
To enter the contest, agents must post one of ASTA’s pre-made social media graphics (downloadable from ASTA’s Social Media Toolkit) on Facebook or Instagram with the hashtag #GlobalTravelAdvisorDay2024. The caption must include three reasons why consumers should use a travel advisor. Next, send an email with the subject line “Social Media Contest,” containing a link to the post, to mnorton@asta.com. Finally, RSVP to the May 1 live event.
Avanti Destinations
To celebrate advisors this May, Avanti Destinations is offering a $25 gift card for each FIT land booking of $5,000 or more made from May 1-31, 2024. Travel must be before Dec. 31, 2024, and paid with at least a deposit on land arrangements by the end of May to be eligible. Bookings can be made online through the travel agent portal or by calling Avanti’s reservation center.
Avanti is also offering to double the gift card value for bookings outside of Europe, in destinations including the South Pacific, Asia, Central and South America, North Africa and the Middle East. There is no limit to the number of gift cards each advisor can earn.
“Our travel advisor partners are the cornerstone of Avanti’s success,” said Gina Bang, chief sales and marketing officer at Avanti. “We want them to know how much we appreciate their hard work, and we are also trying to encourage advisors to recommend destinations outside of Europe, which is always the most popular region.”
Celebrity Cruises
During the month of May, travel advisors can win more than $45,000 worth of prizes from Celebrity Cruises, including the following.
- From May 1-10, daily videos from Celebrity employees will reward more than 100 travel advisors with gifts totaling $15,000 in value. To be in the running, advisors must join the private Facebook group The Celebrity Commitment to Our Travel Partners.
- Agents who engage in various activities throughout May and complete a Celebrity survey have the chance to win a Celebrity cruise for two people.
- By booking three staterooms this May, including one Galapagos Islands sailing, advisors will be in the running to sail with Celebrity in the Galapagos themselves.
Celebrity is also offering agents double Celebrity Rewards points on every booking made from May 1-10. Further demonstrating advisors’ importance to the brand, Celebrity is inviting agents to share their feedback in one-on-one sessions with executive leadership, as part of its new Insider Focus Group program.
CIE Tours
CIE Tours is offering advisors the chance to save 50% when booking any CIE Tours guided vacation to Ireland from May 1-31, for departure between July 1 and Dec. 31, 2024. For those inviting a non-agent to share a room, their guest can save 30%. Agents can also save 30% on CIE itineraries to other destinations, for both the agent and a companion who is sharing the same room.
The celebration extends to travelers with a savings offer of up to $1,200 per couple for popular guided vacations. When booking during the month of May, travelers can receive up to 15% off select guided vacations departing between July 1 and Dec. 31.
Classic Vacations
Tour operator Classic Vacations is hosting “National Travel Advisor Appreciation Week” this year, kicking off on April 30 with a webinar at 1 p.m. Pacific/4 p.m. Eastern. During the webinar, advisors will learn about new products and upcoming innovations at Classic. One attendee will also win a six-night stay for two in Italy.
Throughout the week, Classic will host additional giveaways via social media and its email newsletters. Agents will have the chance to win a three-night stay at Turtle Bay Resort in Oahu, if they have posted a picture to social media between April 29 and May 2 showing how they spend their Royalty Rewards, tagging Classic Vacations and using the hashtag #CVAdvisorWeek. Three advisors can also win a bottle of Champagne by completing a scavenger hunt that will be announced in a Classic email sent on April 29. All winners will be announced on May 3.
Cunard
Cunard is celebrating advisors this year with its Four Queens Bonus Event from April 24 through May 14. New bookings in this period can receive up to $600 in onboard credit per stateroom and a 50% reduced deposit, while advisors earn up to $50 in bonus commission per booking. The offer is available for itineraries across the globe.
Delta Vacations
Giveaways and deals from Delta Vacations during the month of May include:
- A trip a day: The top Delta Vacations booker each day in May will win a spot on a trip to Hawaii, including roundtrip airfare.
- Air giveaways: Four top bookers will receive a $500 Delta Air Lines flight voucher.
- Exclusive savings: Advisors can save up to $300 per booking to select destinations in the Caribbean, Mexico and Central/South America.
- Intimate trips: A select number of Diamond Elite-level advisors are embarking on smaller, more intimate trips to Maui in May.
Globus Family of Brands
Advisors have the chance to earn a booking incentive from the Globus Family of Brands of up to $100 on new bookings made in May. Each new 2024 Globus or Cosmos bookings earns advisors a $50 gift card, while new 2025 bookings earn $100 gift cards.
HX
HX (formerly Hurtigruten Expeditions) is prioritizing the needs of its advisor partners with a number of new initiatives, including the May 6 launch of a new B2B Help Desk providing personalized assistance to agents by phone.
"We're thrilled to unveil these new initiatives for our esteemed members of the trade as we approach Travel Advisor Appreciation Day,” said Sheralyn Berry, general manager for HX in the Americas. “At HX, we deeply value the tireless efforts and dedication of our partners, and we're committed to providing support to help them succeed."
The line is running an Antarctica Giveaway through the month of May. Advisors can participate by joining the new HX Travel Partners, Americas Facebook page (a private group for agents) and registering with HX’s agent portal voyage for the chance to embark on an Antarctica expedition. For every cabin booked in May, advisors receive an additional three entries.
HX is offering advisors the chance to win an Antarctica cruise.
Credit: 2024 Dan AvilaFrom now until Dec. 31, advisors can also take advantage of a “Sell Five, Sail Free” incentive. Trips booked during this timeframe for trips in 2024 and 2025 can earn a complimentary HX voyage of up to 14 days (excluding Machu Picchu itineraries). The offer is exclusive to advisors, with guests in the same cabin paying the advisor rate.
Finally, HX has increased commission to 25% for all Antarctica bookings, complementing the existing 25% commission on Galapagos bookings. Bookings must be made before Aug. 31, for sailings from October 2024 to Dec. 31, 2025.
Hyatt’s Inclusive Collection
Hyatt’s Inclusive Collection is paying tribute to travel advisors with special giveaways and offers in May. Advisors must be registered on Confidant Collective and be a Certified Confidant to be eligible. Giveaways of Confidant Rewards points, complimentary stays, discounted redemptions and extended booking windows are among offers.
"Travel advisors represent an incredibly powerful and collaborative community, and throughout May, we are excited to celebrate their loyalty and commitment to Hyatt’s Inclusive Collection,” said Mark Benson, associate vice president of sales strategy for Hyatt’s Inclusive Collection. “With prizes and giveaways throughout the month, Hyatt’s Inclusive Collection seeks to give back to the travel advisor community as recognition for their unwavering support for our growing portfolio.”
Journese
Journese is offering advisors 500 Bonus Trip Points for every new confirmed and registered booking made by June 30, 2024, for travel through June 30, 2025, with a stay of three nights or longer at select resort, villa and cruise partners. Agents who register bookings on the same day they are confirmed will receive an additional 100 points. Another 100 bonus points will be awarded for each activity confirmed on the booking and for each additional land component. Advisors can redeem Trip points for personal travel, and the top revenue-producing advisor with qualified bookings will earn a two-night stay at Conrad Las Vegas at Resorts World, including a $300 spa credit.
Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) is giving away 10 free cruises to travel advisors. For a chance to win, advisors must post content related to Norwegian Aqua on social media with the hashtag #sweepstakes, take a screenshot of the post and complete NCL’s submission form by May 20. More entries means more chances to win, but advisors will need to complete the submission form for each post they publish.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises
From May 1-31, travel advisors can earn a $100 gift card when booking a selection of 11 Regent Seven Seas Cruises (RSSC) itineraries in the Mediterranean and Northern Europe. Agents simply need to register the booking after it is made. They can also help their clients save up to $4,500 per guest on select voyages from The Exotics Edition, available through June 30.
Advisors can also earn twice the bonus commission while completing a new graduate-level degree in RSSC University. To earn $400 double bonus commission on any 2024 voyage, newly graduated advisors just need to make and register a new deposited booking between May 1 and June 30.
With Sell & Sail, advisors who make three new bookings on voyages in Regent’s Immersive Overnights collection can earn a free voyage for themselves and a guest. Finally, by watching the Immersive Overnights webinar, advisors will be eligible to leverage a $500 shipboard credit per suite for their clients on any Immersive Overnights bookings made through June 30.
Rental Escapes
Advisor-friendly luxury villa rental company Rental Escapes is offering bonus commission of up to $5,000, a promo that was recently extended through June 30. The incentive applies to bookings made for stays between May 8, 2024, and Dec. 31, 2025.
“As a former travel advisor myself, I personally understand the sacrifice and dedication travel advisors make to ensure their clients have an exceptional villa vacation,” said Willie Fernandez, chief marketing officer of Rental Escapes. “Advisors are crucial to our industry, and we want to ensure that they feel recognized and supported when working with Rental Escapes.”
The company has also unveiled a new video that was specially curated for advisors, highlighting the villa experiences that they help create for their clients.
Advisors can earn bonus commission for villa rental bookings made this May.
Credit: 2024 Rental EscapesRiviera River Cruises
Riviera River Cruises is showing its appreciation for advisors throughout the month of May. Agents who book any three cabins on 2024 departures of eight days or more in May can earn a complimentary cabin on a 2024 river cruise in Europe. Advisors also earn 5% bonus commission on every cabin booked for a 2024 departure (excluding single-supplement-free cabins and solo traveler cruises).
The river line will also host two webinars in May, with attending advisors entered into drawings for a $500 gift card. The webinars will take place May 2 and 15.
“Because we only take bookings through travel advisors, we couldn’t be successful without them,” said Marilyn Conroy, executive vice president of sales and marketing, North America for Riviera. “To show our gratitude on Global Travel Advisor Day and all month long, we’re offering opportunities to earn a free cruise and bonus commission, as well as a couple of chances to win gift cards. We hope you’ll think of us when looking at European river cruises for your clients this year.”
Royal Caribbean Group
For advisor appreciation month, Royal Caribbean Group is launching Rallio, a new social media tool. Rallio will give travel agents access to easy-to-use social media content developed by Royal Caribbean’s trade marketing team. The posts are easily customizable and shareable across all major social media platforms. Rallio can also schedule posts ahead of time. The free tool is available on cruisingpower.com and can be used across Royal Caribbean’s brands (including Celebrity Cruises and Silversea).
Travel advisors will also have the chance to win up to $500 for their co-op marketing spend when they register for Rallio in May.
Sandals Resorts International
As an early show of appreciation, Sandals Resorts is offering advisors the chance to earn an extra 1% bonus commission until April 30 on bookings at any Sandals or Beaches resort in Jamaica, the Bahamas, Curacao or St. Vincent (for travel through Dec. 31). During the promo, advisors receive 2% bonus commission for luxury and deluxe-level guestrooms, 3% bonus commission for club concierge rooms and 4% bonus commission for butler suites. The offer can be combined with a booking bonus of up to $85 for stays of six nights or longer.
Sandals has also launched a contest for a free five-night/six-day stay that will allow advisors to experience the new Sandals Saint Vincent and the Grenadines for themselves. The top four agents in the United States with the highest revenue earned for bookings made now through May 8 (for travel by Dec. 31) will win a stay in a butler suite at the resort.
The brand also announced that travel advisors who make new bookings of six nights or more at any Sandals or Beaches resort directly through Unique Vacations, Inc. (booked from May 1-31, for travel through Dec. 26, 2024) will qualify for extra booking incentives of up to $200.
Scenic Group
To celebrate hard-working advisors, Scenic Group is introducing a new contest that combines Taylor Swift with Scenic cruising. Advisors who achieve the highest number of FIT bookings by June 30 have a chance to win the grand prize: a three-night hotel stay with roundtrip airfare for two from Oct. 20-22, including lower bowl seats at Taylor Swift’s concert in Miami; a day spent with Scenic Group’s executive team at their headquarters; a day exploring Miami; and a private tour onboard Scenic Eclipse I. Each booking for 2024 counts as two entries, doubling agents’ chance to win.
During the week of May 20, Scenic Group’s sales team and executive leadership will also visit select agencies to express their thanks to advisors in person.
The Travel Corporation
The Travel Corporation (TTC) Tour Brands — which includes Trafalgar, Contiki, Brendan Vacations, Costsaver, Insight Vacations and Luxury Gold — is showing its appreciation for travel advisors with a new incentive and an expanded discount program.
With the newly revised Travel Advisor Discount Program, advisors can earn personal travel discounts on gross sales starting at $40,000. Advisors new to TTC Tour Brands will earn a $100 e-gift card on their first booking when they take the TTC Tour Brands Masterclass and complete the brand course for their intended trip.
Agents can also take advantage of expanded discount tiers, based on their gross sales. These include a 25% discount for gross sales of $40,000-$75,000; a 50% discount for $75,001-$150,000; a 70% discount for $150,001-$225,000; and a 100% discount for sales totaling $225,001 and above (companion discounts are also available for some tiers).
Villas of Distinction
Luxury villa rental company Villas of Distinction is celebrating its partnership with advisors by offering special bonus commission: Agents who book through June 1 for travel through Dec. 31, 2025, can earn up to $5,000 in extra commission (payable upon deposit).
“Our travel advisor partners are the backbone of our success, and their dedication to crafting exceptional experiences for our guests aligns perfectly with our mission,” said Steve Lassman, vice president of agency relations for Villas of Distinction. "We deeply value their expertise, passion, and commitment to their clients. This bonus commission, paid sooner than anyone else in the industry, is our way of recognizing the invaluable role they play in our continued success."
Windstar Cruises
During the month of May, agents who make a new booking or complete Windstar Cruises’ online training program will be automatically entered for the chance to win one of four free cruises for themselves and a guest. There are even ways for agents to boost their chances of winning: New 2024 bookings made in May earn five entries, and each booking for 2025 and beyond receives two entries. By completing Windstar’s Star Specialist Online Learning Program in May, advisors can also earn five entries.
All month long, travel advisors can also earn a $100 commission bonus for each cabin booked for new-to-Windstar guests.
To further support agents, Windstar has also announced that beginning in June 2024, all booking commissions will be paid 29 days prior to the cruise, rather than after departure. What’s more, advisors who become Windstar Cruises Star Specialists can earn back the cruise fare of their eligible fam trip in the form of a future commission payment.
“Travel advisors are vital to our success at Windstar,” said Janet Bava, chief commercial officer at Windstar. “We are happy to report that with a major upgrade on our reservation system nearly complete, we’ll be able to pay commissions to our advisors earlier. Our valued partners have requested this in our conversations, and now we’ll be able to fulfill it. Our success is tied together, and we must support each other.”
