TORONTO — “Rewarding.” “Fantastic.” “Invaluable.”

Sandals South Coast wowed agents at the 2025 Sandals and Beaches Resorts’ Canadian Home-Based Travel Advisor Conference

These were just some of the reactions of Canadian travel advisors attending the second edition of Sandals and Beaches Resorts Canadian Home-Based Travel Advisor Conference last month in Jamaica.

With a spectacular setting at Sandals South Coast, the 20 participating travel advisors were hosted in style by Unique Vacations Canada Inc, enjoying four days and nights of listening, learning and a deep dive into Sandals’ Caribbean-forward vision and innovative offerings and how that translates into their sales success selling Sandals and Beaches Resorts.

The trip took place Aug. 17-21 and brought together home-based Canadian travel advisors from B.C. to Newfoundland and everywhere in between.

Maureen Barnes-Smith, VP, Sales and Marketing, Canada and Lorna Richards, National Training Manager hosted the conference, featuring keynote presentations, Q&A sessions and a closer look at the brand’s ‘Made of Caribbean’ campaign, launched earlier this year.

Participants also took in resort tours of host property Sandals South Coast – including the refurbished Blue Mahoe Overwater Butler Villas – and Sandals Negril and Beaches Negril. They also got the chance to explore beyond the resort with a tour of YS Falls, courtesy of the Jamaica Tourist Board and Island Routes. Annita Allen-Gordon, Financial Controller, Unique Vacations Canada was also in attendance during the conference.

The Canadian delegation also made a donation of school supplies to the Sandals Foundation for distribution across local schools in Jamaica, just in time for the start of the school year.

The conference underscores the importance of the home-based travel advisor community to Sandals Resorts, especially in the Canadian market, said Barnes-Smith.

“We’ve witnessed the shift to the home-based/host agency model for several years now, even pre-pandemic. In fact, many of our top-producing advisors in Canada for Sandals and Beaches Resorts are home-based,” she said. “We had such an incredible group of passionate, eager-to-learn advisors at this year’s conference that I know this list will grow even longer in the near future.”

Gary C. Sadler, EVP, Sales and Industry Relations, Unique Vacations Inc. (and fellow Canadian) surprised this year’s travel advisor attendees with an in-person address. Agents were decked out in patriotic red and white for the conference’s farewell dinner.

Sadler reminded advisors that Sandals Resorts is fully committed to the Canadian market, having established and maintained a strong presence for over 30 years with its Toronto-based office and team across the country.

Gary C. Sadler speaks to travel advisors at the farewell dinner

“Attending this conference at Sandals South Coast was such a rewarding experience. Not only did we enjoy the warm hospitality and stunning property, but we also had the opportunity to visit Sandals Negril, Beaches Negril, and the breathtaking YS Falls. Meeting and collaborating with other home-based travel advisors was both inspiring and productive. Sandals and Beaches Resorts truly showcase the best in luxury, family, and romance travel….and I am excited to share these experiences with my clients,” said Sonia Lawrence with The Travel Agent Next Door.

Claudia Biegus with TravelOnly got the experience of a lifetime, enjoying her first-ever stay with Sandals. “This was my first time personally experiencing the Sandals & Beaches brand and what an experience it was!” said Biegus. “The conference was invaluable. The sessions on ‘what’s new’ were incredibly exciting and reinforced my belief in the brand’s commitment to innovation. I am particularly enthusiastic about the car wrap program as a powerful way to promote my business by aligning with the strength of the Sandals brand, especially as a home-based advisor. Networking with other advisors was also a highlight as it provided new ideas and a sense of community.”

Nabila Hussain with TravQuest added: “The Sandals Canadian Home-Based Travel Advisor Conference was fantastic, from start to finish. It was incredibly informative, providing valuable details about Jamaica in general and Sandals Resorts specifically. The tours of Sandals South Coast, Sandals Negril and Beaches Negril were particularly insightful. ‘Seeing is believing’ and now having experienced these properties first-hand, it will definitely help me sell them more effectively.”

Maureen Barnes-Smith (top left) joins travel advisors at the welcome reception for the 2025 Sandals and Beaches Resorts’ Canadian Home-Based Travel Advisor Conference