Direct Travel brought nearly 400 attendees to Toronto for its annual Direct Access Leisure Conference, held October 5–7 at the Westin Harbour Castle.
The three-day event welcomed more than 200 leisure travel advisors and approximately 85 supplier partners for networking, technology updates, industry discussions and the company's annual GEM Awards.
"Direct Access is an amazing opportunity for our partners and advisors t meet face to face and discuss ways to mutually grow their business. An added bonus in the incredible culture it builds within our organization!" said Stephen Smith, EVP, Leisure.
New Advisor Platform Coming in 2027
One of the conference's major announcements was a preview of Anywhere, Direct Travel's new technology platform for leisure travel advisors.
Attendees watched a live demonstration of the system, which is designed to bring several aspects of an advisor's business into one place, including daily workflows, operational tasks and commission tracking.
Anywhere is scheduled to launch in the second quarter of 2027.
“Travel advisors don't all work the same way, and we shouldn't expect them to. With Anywhere, we're creating an experience that adapts to the advisor, rather than asking the advisor to adapt to the technology”, said Rebecca Adams, VP Data Insights and Strategy.
166 Advisors Recognized at GEM Awards
Direct Travel also recognized 166 advisors through its annual GEM Awards, which honour performance, client service and industry expertise.
Joelle Goldman, VP Host Services and Luxury Hotel Programs, and Julie Skinner, SVP, Leisure Sales, presented awards across three categories:
- Sapphire: 111 advisors
- Diamond: 29 advisors
- Ruby: 26 advisors
The Ruby category, Direct Travel's highest advisor recognition tier, saw particularly strong growth, increasing from 17 recipients in 2025 to 26 in 2026, a 53% year-over-year increase.
Supplier partners were also recognized during the conference, with five GEM Partner Awards presented.
2026 GEM Partner Award winners:
- The Spark Award: G Adventures
- The Behind-the-Scenes Hero Award: Tauck
- The Glue Award: Globus Family of Brands
- The Heart of Hospitality Award: AmaWaterways
- The Excellence in Partnership Award: AmaWaterways
AmaWaterways was the only supplier to receive two awards.
“We honor our partners through the lens of Direct Travel’s values. We pride ourselves on our values being the foundation of how we work together, serve our clients and partners, and grow as a company. They reflect who we are today and who we aspire to be as we shape the future of travel,” said Adams.
Giving Back Through Direct Impact
The conference also included Direct Impact, the company's annual charitable initiative, which this year supported Water First and The Intrepid Foundation.
Rather than distributing traditional conference gifts, Direct Travel donated $2,500 to Water First and pledged to match attendee contributions dollar-for-dollar, up to $10,000.
Water First works alongside Indigenous communities across Canada to address water challenges through education, training and locally led initiatives.
The initiative was also supported through Direct Travel's partnership with The Intrepid Foundation, which funds community development, humanitarian and environmental projects.
“In focusing on water, Direct Travel is recognizing the importance of this essential building block for human existence,” said Rene Schneeberger, SVP Leisure Supplier Relations and Revenue Optimization.
Cancun to Host Direct Access 2027
Direct Travel closed the conference by announcing that next year's Direct Access will take place October 4–6, 2027, at AVA Resort Cancun in Mexico.
The announcement follows what the company describes as a year of growth across its leisure business, despite challenges affecting the wider travel industry.
“We have had a year of solid growth despite its turbulence; our advisors continue to shine for their clients. 2027 looks like another strong year in luxury leisure travel and I am so proud to work with an incredible team supporting so many talented travel advisors. I look forward to celebrating them at Direct Access a year from now,” said Gerard Bellino, President, Leisure.
Direct Travel has approximately 900 leisure travel advisors across North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand and is a member of the Virtuoso luxury travel network.
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