TORONTO — Canadian travel advisors recently hailed their experiences at the second edition of the Sandals and Beaches Resorts Canadian Home-Based Travel Advisor Conference held in Jamaica. Descriptors like “rewarding,” “fantastic,” and “invaluable” encapsulated their enthusiastic feedback after four days at Sandals South Coast from August 17-21, 2025.
Sandals South Coast wowed agents at the 2025 Sandals and Beaches Resorts’ Canadian Home-Based Travel Advisor Conference
This annual event brought together 20 home-based travel advisors from across Canada, including regions from British Columbia to Newfoundland. Hosted by Unique Vacations Canada Inc, attendees immersed themselves in Sandals’ innovative Caribbean offerings, gaining insights into how to enhance their sales strategies for Sandals and Beaches Resorts.
Key figures from Sandals, including Maureen Barnes-Smith, VP of Sales and Marketing for Canada, and National Training Manager Lorna Richards, welcomed participants with keynote presentations, interactive Q&A sessions, and an in-depth look at the brand’s new “Made of Caribbean” campaign, which was introduced earlier in the year.
Attendees also enjoyed guided tours of the impressive Sandals South Coast resort, including the newly refurbished Blue Mahoe Overwater Butler Villas. Additional excursions featured visits to Sandals Negril and Beaches Negril, as well as an exhilarating tour of YS Falls, organized in collaboration with the Jamaica Tourist Board and Island Routes. Notably, Annita Allen-Gordon, Financial Controller for Unique Vacations Canada, participated throughout the conference.
In a significant gesture of support, the Canadian group also contributed school supplies to the Sandals Foundation, aimed at benefiting local schools in Jamaica as the new academic year commenced.
Maureen Barnes-Smith emphasized the pivotal role that home-based travel advisors play within the Sandals Resorts framework, particularly in the Canadian landscape. “We’ve observed the growing trend toward home-based and host agency models over the last few years, even before the pandemic. Many of our highest-performing advisors in Canada operate from home, and this year’s conference showcased a remarkable array of passionate and driven advisors. I am confident our network will continue to expand,” she stated.
For those interested in Caribbean vacations, exploring the latest offerings from Sandals Resorts can be enriching through their official website. With numerous luxurious destinations available, there’s something for every traveler’s taste.
