Bahia Principe Hotels & Resorts, which recently rolled out a brand-new travel agent rewards program for Canadian travel agents, is hosting several full-house events across Canada to celebrate its travel agent partners.

The event, hosted in concert with tour operator partner Transat, was attended by Mike Price, head of the Canadian sales team for Bahia Principe, as well as well as Denise Heffron, Vice President of National Sales & Commercial for Transat.

In Toronto, the overbooked event unfolded at Sassafraz restaurant in Yorkville where more than 80 Transat retail agents came to learn more about Bahia Principe and its new agent rewards programs.

“We’re here to celebrate our relationship with Transat and Transat retail agents,” said Price in a one-to-one interview with TravelPulse Canada.

The new travel agent rewards program was introduced on February 6, in Canada, and offers free travel and discounted rates for travel agents who book Bahia Principe properties.

“In the Canadian marketplace, we need to reward travel agents who are our key partners, as well as tour operators, especially Transat,” said Price.

The program, which includes a bilingual call centre in Canada, mirrors a similar program launched in the United States last year.

“The reception has been excellent,” said Price. “We’ve been overwhelmed with the response.”

For her part, Heffron says Transat applauds Bahia Principe’s new travel agent rewards program.

“In this business, it’s all about relationships,” said Heffron. “We are very pleased to see Bahia Principe launch an agent incentive program. Transat, of course, has their BonBon rewards program.

Bahia Principe is Transat’s biggest partner in Canada, according to Heffron. Early numbers indicate that at least one thousand Canadian agents have already signed up for the new Bahia Principe program.

“We’re super happy they’re doing it,” said Heffron.

In related news, Heffron says that Transat is already working steadily on summer and even winter bookings and all indicators suggested it will be a strong travel season.

For more information, visit www.bahia-principe.com/b2b or www.transat.com. 

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