MONTREAL — Air Canada Vacations continues to expand its international footprint with a recent FAM trip to Porto and Northern Portugal, giving Canadian travel advisors the chance to experience one of Europe’s emerging tourism hotspots first-hand.

Held from June 4 to 10, the immersive trip was organized in partnership with the Porto & North of Portugal Tourism Board and hosted 10 top-performing travel advisors along with ACV Key Account Manager Suzanne Morgan.

On the importance of FAM trips, Nino Montagnese, Vice President of Air Canada Vacations, said: “International Familiarization trips are an integral part of our plan to grow our global portfolio. These experiences allow us to strengthen our relationships with our travel agent partners and empower them to better showcase our expanding destination offerings to Canadian travellers.”

The curated itinerary took participants to several of Northern Portugal’s most iconic cultural and culinary landmarks, including UNESCO World Heritage sites like Guimarães, the Douro Valley and Bom Jesus do Monte. Advisors dined at notable venues such as the five-star Lince Santa Clara Hotel and enjoyed a wine-tasting lunch at Quinta de Santa Júlia, a prestigious estate overlooking the Douro Valley renowned for its port wine production. Another highlight was a lunch at the historic Pousada de Viana do Castelo.

Throughout the trip, travel professionals were hosted at deluxe properties including Vila Galé Collection Ponte de Lima, Tivoli Kopke Porto Gaia, and Porto Palácio Hotel, all of which provided a taste of the region’s upscale hospitality.

“This initiative reflects our broader commitment to growing Air Canada Vacations’ international offering while investing in meaningful, hands-on learning for our partners,” said Erminia Gallina, Director of Sales at Air Canada Vacations. “As one of our advisors put it, ‘Air Canada Vacations takes the work out of travel planning. With their vast collection of destinations, it’s worry-free travel at its best.’ That’s exactly the kind of trust and inspiration we aim to foster.”

The Porto FAM also aligns with the tour operator’s recently launched product offerings in Portugal. New tours to Porto are now available, with direct flights from Montreal starting this year as part of ACV’s growing European portfolio.

More international FAM opportunities are currently in the pipeline, with a focus on in-demand and high-potential destinations.

For travel ideas to Porto, click here.