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Read all about the agents' Mexican adventures and learnings in 'Turtle-y transfixed: behind the scenes on Iberostar’s fam blending nature with nurture'

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE TTG SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL HEROES PROGRAMME

Video transcript

Madeleine Barber, TTG Media:

"Buenos Dias from Mexico! I've just spent five nights at the Iberostar Selection Paraiso Maya Suites with four travel agents who are TTG Sustainable Travel Ambassadors. We've been exploring all the richer experiences that guests can have here as a result of Iberostar's Wave of Change movement. So that means we've explored cenotes with local communities, we have snorkelled above protected coral reefs, we've released turtle hatchlings into the wild, we've dined in restaurants that serve up sustainably sourced food, and we've sampled many of the activities and entertainment available here at the resort. So now these agents are in the know you can be too. Let's hear their highlights and selling tips."

Lisa Russell, Wanderluxe by Lisa:

"Rocking up onto a beach at 11pm to meet the turtle rangers who checked to make sure there were little hatchlings that night. And then watching them being gathered and put into the sea was so special."

Chloe Summerfield, Cumbria Travel:

"It was really interesting, the Bejil-Ha experience... Walking through the jungle, it's not something that you do every day. I really enjoyed learning about the stalagmites and the stalactites. So we did three cenotes and they were all very different. There were bats flying about. We enjoyed the moment where we turned all of the torches off and experienced pitch black. I would recommend this experience to couples and people liking a bit of adventure. It's so fascinating and a once in a lifetime experience."

Jo O'Connell, Not Just Travel:

"The highlights of going out with Dressel Divers on the snorkelling trip was firstly, well, you go and catamaran! And so you're sort of cruising out late afternoon with them, and they really looked after us, great service, provided all the gear and then we jumped into the water and before you know it, people are spotting loads of fish, turtles and even an eagle ray past us, which was an incredible experience to see that. And then watching the sun go down as you cruise back with a couple of beers? Perfect."

Lisa Connolly, Travel Counsellors:

"I think the cooking class was great and I think that would be something that I could sell easily to corporate clients. They would absolutely love something like that."

Lisa Russell, Wanderluxe by Lisa:

"The Coral Lab visit was a real eye-opener. The biggest thing that I took away was that they've found a way to make coral recover. Their restored Coral Lab and the scientists that man it are really world leading in their field."

Lisa Connolly, Travel Counsellors:

"The La Geisha restaurant, that was really fun. Not just eating food, you're actually being entertained by the guys and yeah, they were brilliant. I think that all the restaurants are amazing. Everything's cooked to order. We saw that with the Winnow [system]. There's loads of choice if you are vegetarian, vegan, or if you've got any allergies."

Jo O'Connell, Not Just Travel:

"Joia Paraiso, the best client group for that is people that are looking for that indulgent experience, celebrating a, you know, a key milestone in their life, an anniversary, wedding, or people that just always want the best. It's an adult-only resort typically for sort of more for people, sort of 45 years and upwards but there are younger people that go there as well. You get that exclusivity of being in the adults-only area, but you have full access to all the other hotels."

Lisa Connolly, Travel Counsellors:

"I think that Paraiso Maya Suites is best suited to mid- to high-end clients, but I would offer it to anyone from couples, groups, families, multi-generational families too."

Chloe Summerfield, Cumbria Travel:

"The client type best suited for the Paraiso Lindo would be families and even couples that like the fun, but still want that bit of luxury. The water park onsite, it's fantastic. A couple of minutes' walk for the families and it's right on your doorstep. The lazy river, slides, pool, everything's right there."

Lisa Russell, Wanderluxe by Lisa:

"The Paraiso del Mar and the Paraiso del Beach resorts are really well suited to families that may be on a little tighter budget to those that could perhaps go to the other resorts here."

Lisa Connolly, Travel Counsellors:

"Without a doubt, if I'm looking for somewhere and they've got an Iberostar property, I will price it to my clients, even if it's not in their initial budget."

Lisa Russell, Wanderluxe by Lisa:

"Iberostar are working behind the scenes to make sure that the food that you eat is sustainably sourced, there's no single-use plastic that's going to end up polluting our oceans. So you really can come, have your own holiday, but feel like you are doing something good for the planet."

Jo O'Connell, Not Just Travel:

"I knew that Iberostar did so much already and it's been great coming around looking at all the different projects. Their sustainability is just so built into everything they think and do in the resort."

Lisa Russell, Wanderluxe by Lisa:

"You really can do you on this holiday."

Chloe Summerfield, Cumbria Travel:

"They're just ahead of the game."