Honors top industry performers, unveils new resorts and products coming in 2023
MIAMI, Nov. 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Earlier this week, Karisma Hotels & Resorts and Grupo Lomas honored travel agent partners at the 15th Annual Gourmet Inclusive® Vacation Consultant (GIVC) Awards in Riviera Maya, Mexico. The GIVC conference is one of the industry’s elite events recognizing the brand’s top-performing travel advisors and key partners across several categories. This year’s festivities welcomed over 150 trusted travel partners from the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Latin America, top executives from Karisma Hotels & Resorts and Grupo Lomas, and distinguished guests, including Sra. Dolores Lopez Lira, Sr. Jose Luis Martinez, and Samantha Frachey; Javier Aranda Pedrero, General Director of the Tourism Promotion Council of Quintana Roo; Jorge Luis Tellez Vignet, Director of Promotion of the Tourism Promotion Council of Quintana Roo; and Eduardo Dominguez, General Director of the Hotel Association of Cancun, Isla Mujeres and Puerto Morelos.
“GIVC is our biggest celebration of the year,” said Marilyn Cairo, Vice President of Global Sales at Premier Worldwide Marketing, the worldwide sales and marketing representative for Karisma Hotels and Resorts. “We rely on our trusted travel industry partners and know that the insight and value they bring to our brands is second to none. We are excited to expand globally with the first year of the launch of our GIVC program in LATAM and to have LATAM agents receiving awards for their strong work.”
The GIVC event spanned four days, from October 30th-November 2nd, with a general session, panels with key executives, and breakout sessions hosted at the Main Stage Theater, a world-class entertainment and meeting venue, at the award-winning Nickelodeon Hotels and Resorts Riviera Maya, where agents learned about the latest company announcements, new products launches, and plans to engage further with the travel agent community. The event also provided a firsthand look at Karisma Hotels and Resorts’ newest properties with a site inspection at Margaritaville Island Reserve Riviera Maya, and announcements about Margaritaville Beach Resorts Ambergris Caye, Belize, both opening early in 2023. Additionally, renovations were announced for Azul Beach Resorts Negril, Nickelodeon Hotels and Resorts Punta Cana, El Dorado Casitas Royale, and El Dorado Seaside Suites coming soon.
Lavish and authentic Mexican festivities took place at the El Dorado Royale Spa Resort with an extravagant Day of the Dead-themed welcome party showcasing the importance of Mexican culture and its influence on the guest experience. The festivities continued the next day with an opulent Halloween party with intricate art installations and curated culinary and beverage experiences hosted on the award-winning Maroma Beach at El Dorado Maroma. Agents were the first to walk through the new two-bedroom Presidential Palafito Suite at The Palafitos Overwater Bungalows by El Dorado Maroma and renovation preview of Mi Hotelito suites. The grand finale gala cocktail and Awards Ceremony welcomed top-performing agents from the US, Mexico, Canada, and for the first time since the event’s inception, Latin America.
This year, the ceremony acknowledged partners in 32 categories spanning Top Overall Producers, Top Wedding Producers, Top Producers by Brand, Top Producers by Region, Diamond & Elite levels, the new Top Performing Host Agency category, and distinguished Palm Awards. Palm Award winners included Travis Paquin, 417 Travel; Tina and Richard Goswick, Paradise Weddings and Travel; Jackie Waechter, Blissful Honeymoons & Destination Weddings; Anthony Tucker, All Inclusive Outlet; and Andrea Crespi, from Amar Viaje.
The highest recognition, the “Hall of Fame Award,” is given to an individual who has made a difference to the El Dorado Spa Resorts, Generations Resorts, Azul Beach Resorts, Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts, and Margaritaville Island Reserve brands through an overall increase in business. This year’s award was presented to Jack and Sharon Benoff from Vacationeeze of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Launched in 2008, the Gourmet Inclusive® Vacation Consultant Program is reserved for an elite group of travel agents who must meet specific standards to exceed extremely high customer service and support expectations. Gourmet Inclusive Vacation Consultants receive benefits from the program – from marketing tools to added incentives to offer consumers – and travelers who book a vacation with the specialized agents are privy to exclusive deals, among other advantages. In 2022, over 73% of travelers used an agent, and Karisma Hotel & Resorts plans to continue to invest in their trusted travel partners in 2023 and beyond with new BDM support, enhancements to the travel agent portal, and specialty agent programs for Nickelodeon Hotels and Resorts and Margaritaville Island Reserve to be announced.
For more information on Karisma Hotels & Resorts and our agent programs, visit https://www.karismatravelagents.com/en_US/agentprograms.
Additional images from the event can be found here.
About Karisma Hotels & Resorts
Karisma Hotels & Resorts is an award-winning luxury hotel collection that owns and manages an impressive portfolio of properties in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Europe. Property brands include Margaritaville Island Reserve by Karisma; El Dorado Spa Resorts by Karisma; Azul Beach Resorts by Karisma; Generations Resorts by Karisma; Hidden Beach Resort by Karisma; Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts; and Margaritaville St. Somewhere by Karisma. Properties have been honored with the industry’s top accolades, including Conde Nast Traveler’s “Top 100 Hotels in the World,” Conde Nast Traveler’s “Top 30 Hotels in Cancun,” TripAdvisor® Traveler’s Choice “Best Hotels for Romance,” and AAA’s “Five Diamond Award” and “Four Diamond Award.” Karisma Hotels & Resorts is committed to employee and community support while delivering authentic experiences to guests, receiving worldwide recognition for its compassionate and creative approach to hospitality management and product innovations.
Media Contact:
McKenzie Pickett, Alliance Connection
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SOURCE Karisma Hotels & Resorts
