ACTA advisors immerse themselves in Portugal
Twenty-five ACTA member travel advisors immersed themselves in Portugal earlier this month as part of a partnership between ACTA, Visit Portugal, Visit Alentejo and Air Canada on the ACTA Immersive Destination Experience.
Wendy Paradis, ACTA president, said: “ACTA’s Immersive Destination Experiences are aimed at revolutionizing the travel industry’s approach to experiential learning and social media marketing.”
She continued: “By collaborating with our destination partners and suppliers, ACTA intends to elevate and enrich the traditional fam experience.”
The event, held in Alentejo Portugal from Nov. 13 to Nov. 19, served as a platform, offering ACTA member advisors with an in-depth understanding of Alentejo’s appeal. During their time in Portugal travel advisors experienced unique accommodation that included world famous pousadas, historic castles, convents, and monasteries.
Throughout each day advisors were introduced to Portugal’s unique tourism gems including many Unesco world heritage sites. By the end of the experience advisors were equipped with an immersive understanding of the destination, leaving them with the confidence and connections to offer extraordinary travel experiences from this part of the world to their clients.
Social media coaching
One of the unique highlights of this event was the integration of a social media coach, dedicated to presenting daily challenges and sharing the latest tips and tricks to leverage the allure of Alentejo as a picturesque backdrop for digital storytelling. The social media coaching enabled advisors to harness the power of social media effectively in promoting the region.
Paradis explained: “By intertwining destination education with contemporary social media strategies, we’ve pioneered a new standard in travel advisor education.”
ACTA’s president said: “Our partnerships with Visit Portugal, Visit Alentejo, and Air Canada has not only enriched the knowledge base of our members who attended but also empowered them to craft compelling narratives that resonate with today’s travellers.”
Ines Almeida Garret, Director for Visit Portugal in Canada, said: “It was a privilege to be able to travel with the ACTA group to Portugal and be able to show them the meaning of a word often used to describe Alentejo: ‘vagar’. This means being able to slowly enjoy every minute of the day, no rush, just relax and have time to appreciate the good things in life, including wine and food, of course.”
Judith Coates of Wired for Travel, said that: “Being given the opportunity to visit Portugal, and especially to be able to experience the beautiful Alentejo Region in a more immersive way, gave me immense insight into what experiences and locations would best suit my clients who have Portugal on their “next to see” list.”
Coates added: “ACTA is vastly increasing its membership value by adding these Immersive Destination Experiences to the calendar, and travel advisors who are not yet ACTA members should seriously consider the benefits of ACTA membership.”
Go to www.acta.ca for more.
