First Canadian Virtuoso Awards Gala a Piping Hot Success

A most virtuous soirée was held at Toronto’s swanky Four Seasons with the travel industry’s luxury crowd decked out in black tie regalia for Virtuoso Canada’s first Awards Gala.

This trade media hermit was greeted with a “Ring for Champagne” bell which delivered a white gloved hand bearing a flute of Perrier Jouet. (Had retired Open Jaw columnist Ivanna Gabbalot been there, there’s no telling what the hand would have been subjected to.)

The festive atmosphere was amplified by the arrival of a bagpipe band which piped in the crowd to dinner. The astonishing entertainment continued to loud whoops as the band played well known rock tunes such as Queen’s ‘We Will Rock You’. Not your average bagpipe serenade.

The ceremony was part of Virtuoso’s annual Canada Forum, taking place February 27. These regional Canadian awards honour Virtuoso members and partners “that elevate the travel industry and create memorable experiences for luxury travellers in Canada.”

Each award category recognized one member and one preferred partner based on their engagement within the network and via Virtuoso-reported sales data.

The Canadian Virtuoso Awards categories and winners were:

Northern Lights Award

The Northern Lights Award recognizes one member that goes above and beyond in engagement, activism, advocacy, sponsorship and promotion of Virtuoso Canada. They embody the commitment, humility and spirit of human connection within the Virtuoso network and are an example of what matters most to members, partners and travellers.

Winner: Wendy Davis, Zebrano Travel

Wendy Davis, Owner, Zebrano Travel, who spoke from a pre-recorded video

Most Engaged

Collaboration is one of Virtuoso’s core values, and this award recognizes a member and a partner with the highest engagement based on participation within the Virtuoso network.

Member winner: Direct Travel

L-R: Una O'Leary, General Manager, Canada, Virtuoso Travel; Stephen Smith, Senior Vice President, Leisure Strategy & Marketing, North America at Direct Travel and Michael Londregan, Senior Vice President, Global Operations, Virtuoso.

Partner winner: Globus, Family of Brands

L-R: Una O'Leary, General Manager, Canada, Virtuoso Travel; Maurizio Mazzola, Business Development Manager in Ontario, Globus and Michael Londregan, Senior Vice President, Global Operations, Virtuoso.

Top Producers

These awards honour members and partners with the highest overall network sales per category.

Member winners:

Cruise Top Producer:Direct Travel
Hotels & Resorts Top Producer: Renshaw Travel
Tour Top Producer: Direct Travel
On-Site Top Producer: Direct Travel
Specialty Top Producer: Trevello Travel Group

L-R: Una O'Leary, General Manager, Canada, Virtuoso Travel; Susan Lawson, Director of Engagement, Trevello and Michael Londregan, Senior Vice President, Global Operations, Virtuoso.

Partner winners:

Cruise Top Producer: Celebrity Cruises
Hotels & Resorts Top Producer: Shangri-la Tokyo
Tour Top Producer: Globus Tours
On-Site Top Producer: Iceland Encounter
Specialty Top Producer: Allianz

Highest Annual Growth

These awards acknowledge members and partners with the largest annual year-over-year growth per category.

Member winners:

Highest Cruise Annual Growth: LuxeXperts

L-R: Una O'Leary, General Manager, Canada, Virtuoso Travel; Karine Gagnon, General Manager of Luxe Experts and Michael Londregan, Senior Vice President, Global Operations, Virtuoso.

Highest Hotels & Resorts Annual Growth: Momenti Travel

L-R: Una O'Leary, General Manager, Canada, Virtuoso Travel; Cathy Holler, President & CEO, Momenti Travel and Michael Londregan, Senior Vice President, Global Operations, Virtuoso.

Highest Tour Annual Growth: BST Vacations/Blowes & Stewart Travel Group Ltd.
Highest On-Site Annual Growth: YYZ Travel

L-R: Una O'Leary, General Manager, Canada, Virtuoso Travel; Alexandra Pelts, President, YYZ Travel Group and Michael Londregan, Senior Vice President, Global Operations, Virtuoso.

Highest Specialty Annual Growth: Civilized Adventures

L-R: Una O'Leary, General Manager, Canada, Virtuoso Travel; Kylan Falk Managing Director, Civilized Adventures and Michael Londregan, Senior Vice President, Global Operations, Virtuoso.

Partner winners:
Highest Cruise Annual Growth: Oceania Cruises

Shirley Lew, Director of Sales, Eastern Canada, Oceania Cruises, Aaron Crawford, BDM, Holland America, Beverley Vickers, Director of Sales & Marketing Canada, Regent Seven Seas

Highest Hotels & Resorts Annual Growth:One&Only Royal Mirage
Highest Tour Annual Growth: Collette

L-R: Una O'Leary, General Manager, Canada, Virtuoso Travel; Ron Lonsdale, Canadian Director of Strategic Partnerships at Collette and Michael Londregan, Senior Vice President, Global Operations, Virtuoso.

Highest On-Site Annual Growth: Southern Crossings Australia
Highest Specialty Annual Growth: Bedsonline

“It’s a pleasure to acknowledge our Canadian members and partners for their remarkable contributions to our network,” said General Manager, Virtuoso Canada Úna O’Leary. Their dedication and collaboration are instrumental in cultivating a dynamic community committed to excellence and innovation.