TORONTO — ACTA has appointed its 2023 Independent Travel Agent Advisory Group.
The group is made up of independent travel agents from across Canada, from different host agencies and with strong regional representation, says ACTA President Wendy Paradis. Advisory group members will offer counsel to ACTA on advocacy issues specific to independent travel agents.
ACTA’s mandate includes advocacy on behalf of its diverse membership.
Says Paradis: “We are thankful to all those who applied and we look forward to working with this excellent and representative group of independent travel agents this year.”
She adds that in addition to the Independent Travel Agent Advisory Group, ACTA also engages the National Board of Directors, Regional Advisory Councils, the Travel Agency Leaders Advisory Group, the CCTA, CTC/CTM professionals, and other member groups as part of ACTA’s industry consultation on advocacy issues.
“These groups enable ACTA to develop advocacy priorities that engage the interests of all segments of membership to ensure government and supplier advocacy is comprehensive,” says Paradis.
ACTA received an “overwhelming expression of interest” following its call-out for membership applications. The group held its first meeting of the year this week.
Here’s the list of 2023 ACTA Independent Travel Agent Advisory Group members, including Judith Coates, who co-founded the Association of Canadian Independent Travel Advisors (ACITA) in the early months of the pandemic and later stepped down to focus on her agency.
With no representation currently from Manitoba, ACTA is welcoming additional expressions of interest from independent travel agents in that province. Interested Manitoba agents are asked to contact Avery Campbell, Director of Advocacy and Industry Relations, at acampbell@acta.ca.
- Alicia Haldane, CTC, Nexion Canada (Ontario)
- Amanda Beaver, TravelOnly (Ontario)
- Camille Hillis, Independent by Flight Centre (B.C.)
- Coleen Rogg, The Travel Agent Next Door (Saskatchewan)
- Debbie Ford, CTC, Trevello (Nova Scotia)
- Johanne Berthiaume, Passion Voyage (Quebec)
- Judith Coates, The Travel Agent Next Door (Ontario)
- Linda Skehor, Travel Best Bets (B.C.)
- Onanta Forbes, Travel Time (Alberta)
- Pierrette Pilon, Expedia Cruises (Quebec)
- Sheila Gallant-Halloran, Vision Travel (Ontario)
