TDC Launches zaluna, its New Digital Gift Card Program

Transat Distribution Canada (TDC) is launching its new zaluna Gift Card program, which can now be purchased exclusively online.

TDC has partnered with Givex to offer its Marlin Travel, TravelPlus, Transat Travel, Club Voyages and Voyages Transat branded agencies a gift card program that is tailored to the current spending habits of Canadian travellers.

Karine Gagnon, General Manager of Transat Distribution Canada, explained that: “This new program focuses on online gift card purchases exclusively. When you consider that the gift card market in Canada is valued at more than $9 billion[1], and that the compound annual growth rate of digital gift cards is estimated at 15.8% by 2030[2], we can say that this new program is completely in line with the current reality of the market.”

Gagnon continued: “41% of customers try a business for the first time after receiving a gift card[3]. This represents a huge market, and this potential increase in sales to a new clientele gives our agency owners and travel professionals an incredible opportunity to demonstrate their great added value, possibly to a younger clientele, and to build loyalty afterwards.”

The new zaluna Gift Card program greatly facilitates the issuance process for owners of franchised and affiliated agencies in the TDC network, as well as for travel professionals in corporate agencies and those associated with the agent@home program.

In fact, the purchase will now be made exclusively online, by the advisor who wishes to help his client, or by the client himself.

Gagnon explained: “So, cards that are easier to issue, without mandatory intervention by a travel professional, and easy to exchange in the agency or by phone: it’s a win-win situation. This gain in efficiency across the entire gift card purchase and redemption process will allow agency owners and travel professionals to take even greater advantage of this very lucrative market segment, potentially retaining new customers and therefore generating more revenue.”

She noted that: “In addition, our zaluna Gift Card program is enhanced with a new corporate solution, allowing for the purchase of gift cards in higher volumes via the new website. “This is a great development tool for our agency owners and travel professionals, who can develop a new market with local businesses that can offer it to their employees as a form of recognition, for example.”