Jamison says that for clients heading to Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto, Chicago provides the quickest connections.

Operators at Canada Eh!, held at Auckland’s Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, say the event was the biggest opportunity in a couple of years for the trade to be updated on the destination. It came just a few weeks before Air Canada’s new service between Auckland and Vancouver commences on 14 December.

‘We are emphasising that Canada is a year round destination and that there are opportunities both in Vancouver and beyond,’ says Cathy Gibson, sales executive with Air Canada. ‘Some products and destinations have a high profile with the trade here but even with those agents can gain knowledge of details to help them sell Canada – like the hidden gems of Vancouver for example.‘And then there are places like the East Coast and Northern Canada that definitely provide more opportunities for the trade and their clients.’

Gibson says features such as wildlife and Niagara Falls are obvious attractions but agents shouldn’t forget the cities. ‘If you look at Halifax, Toronto and Quebec, each place has a totally different personality.’

As well as the two airlines, presenters included Adventure World, Scenic, World Journeys, Francis Travel Marketing, APT, Rocky Mountaineer, Tourism British Columbia, Vancouver Tourism, Whistler Tourism, and Calgary Stampede.

• Amanda Trew, MTA Travel; Lisa... Amanda Trew, MTA Travel; Lisa...
• Jared Jamison, Air New Zealand;... Jared Jamison, Air New Zealand;...
• Lizzie Doyle, Calgary Stampede; Cathy... Lizzie Doyle, Calgary Stampede; Cathy...
• Christine Dietschin, Lauren Chappell, both... Christine Dietschin, Lauren Chappell, both...
• Janet Tucker, Caroline Imrie, both... Janet Tucker, Caroline Imrie, both...
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