President’s Message: Stronger Together - Building What Comes Next

Suzanne Acton-Gervais
President, ACTA

This year’s ACTA Travel Industry Summits have reinforced an important truth: we are stronger together.

In Toronto and Montréal, travel advisors, agency leaders, supplier partners and industry experts gathered to learn, exchange ideas, strengthen relationships and address the changes shaping our sector. These were more than industry events. They demonstrated the professionalism, determination and shared purpose of the ACTA community—and what we can accomplish when we speak and act together.

None of this happens without an exceptional team. I want to express my sincere appreciation to the entire ACTA team for the tremendous work involved in planning and delivering our Summits. Months of preparation take place behind the scenes, and every detail—from programming and partnerships to communications, registration and the on-site experience—requires collaboration, care and commitment. I am enormously proud of what our team has accomplished.

I also extend my heartfelt thanks to our speakers, sponsors, exhibitors, volunteers, educational partners and everyone who participated. Your expertise, generosity and enthusiasm brought our theme—Bold Leadership. Smart Innovation. Extraordinary Destinations.—to life.

We now look forward to the final stop of our 2026 Summit season in Vancouver, where ACTA members and industry partners from across Western Canada will come together for another valuable and inspiring day.

While our Summits bring our community together, ACTA’s work continues every day.

Our leading advocacy priority is the removal of interprovincial barriers and the mutual recognition of professional credentials across Canada. Travel advisors and agencies should be able to serve clients across provincial boundaries without unnecessary duplication, conflicting requirements or additional regulatory burdens.

This is particularly important for the distribution of travel insurance. ACTA is calling for a modern, coordinated framework that recognizes equivalent credentials across provinces while maintaining strong consumer protection. Removing these barriers would improve labour mobility, support businesses and independent travel advisors, expand consumer access to professional advice and contribute to a more competitive Canadian economy.

As governments work to reduce internal trade barriers, ACTA is making it clear that professional services—including those provided by travel advisors—must be part of the solution. In our federal pre-budget submission, we reinforced that travel is trade and called for policies that support your businesses while strengthening the resilience of Canada’s travel system.

Advocacy, however, is rarely one dramatic meeting followed by an immediate victory.

Real advocacy is disciplined. It requires research, evidence, strong relationships and consistent follow-up. It means returning to the table when the first answer is no. It also means knowing when we need to speak more loudly—in the media and in public—and when a quieter conversation behind the scenes can move an issue further. Both approaches matter. Effective advocacy is knowing which one will deliver the greatest impact.

ACTA will not win every issue immediately, and I will never promise that we will. What I can promise is that we will be informed, persistent and present. We will continue to raise concerns directly and publicly when circumstances require it, strengthen our presence in the media and ensure that the perspective of Canada’s retail travel sector is part of the national conversation.

As we look ahead, we are preparing to celebrate an extraordinary milestone. Save the date: September 9, 2027, when ACTA will host a special National Mega Summit in celebration of our 50th anniversary. This landmark event will bring our industry together from across Canada to honour the people and achievements that have shaped ACTA’s first five decades—and to look boldly toward the future we will build together.

Additional details will be shared in the months ahead. ACTA is working with airline and hotel partners to explore preferred travel and accommodation options that will help make it as affordable and practical as possible for members from across the country to participate.

There has never been a more important time to belong to Canada’s national association for travel agencies and travel advisors. Members who renew early will benefit from special early-bird renewal membership rates:

Certified Travel Counsellor (CTC) / Certified Travel Manager (CTM) Renewal: $109 + tax — available until December 31, 2026, after which the rate increases to $149 + tax.

Independent Travel Advisor (ITA) Renewal: $79 + tax — available until October 1, 2026, after which the rate increases to $99 + tax.

Renew by October 31, 2026, to be eligible for ACTA’s Early-Bird Renewal Prize Draw!

Membership in ACTA is more than access to programs, education and industry events. It is an investment in the collective strength of our profession. Every member adds weight to our advocacy, expands our reach and helps ensure that travel agencies and travel advisors have a meaningful voice in the decisions affecting their businesses and their clients.

Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen captured this spirit when he said: “Small and powerless, yet powerful together.” That message resonates deeply with our industry. No travel advisor succeeds alone. No agency, supplier, destination—or association—succeeds alone. Individually, we have experience. Together, we have influence.

Thank you for your trust, your engagement and everything you do for Canadian travellers. The future of our industry is not something that simply happens to us. It is something we build—together.

Suzanne Acton-Gervais
President
Association of Canadian Travel Agencies and Travel Advisors

2026-09-24 12:19:19

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