The trips, which were won by Travel Counsellors through incentives run across the community, took place throughout October and gave winners the chance to experience some of the world’s most extraordinary destinations first-hand, while building valuable product and destination knowledge to share with their customers.
In Ecuador and the Galápagos, winners embarked on an immersive adventure beginning in Quito, with a walking city tour, tea tasting and chocolate-making experience, before travelling onwards to the Galápagos Islands. A highlight was a four-night cruise aboard the Treasure, a premium power catamaran offering intimate wildlife encounters and responsible exploration.
The Canada incentive took winners from Vancouver through the Canadian Rockies to Calgary. After exploring Vancouver, the group travelled in GoldLeaf aboard the Rocky Mountaineer on a two-day journey to Jasper, before continuing along the Icefields Parkway towards Banff. Highlights included Athabasca Falls, Peyto Lake and the Columbia Icefield, where the group ventured onto the Athabasca Glacier and experienced the Columbia Icefield Skywalk, before exploring Banff and continuing on to Calgary.
In Borneo, winners took part in a six-day Intrepid adventure centred around wildlife, conservation and responsible travel. Highlights included visits to the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre and Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre, wildlife cruises along the Kinabatangan River, and a conservation activity supporting endangered Borneo pygmy elephants.
Eda Ayyildiz, Gold Travel Counsellor who went on the Canada trip said: “Canada was one of those trips that reminds you just how wonderful travel can be. Travelling through the Canadian Rockies aboard the Rocky Mountaineer had been on my travel wish list for such a long time, and finally experiencing it for myself was every bit as special as I’d imagined."
The three trips were made possible through the support of Andean Travel Company, Air Canada, CSM Travel and Intrepid Travel.
