Canadian Affair is the UK's largest tour operator to Canada, providing services including scheduled passenger airlines, package holidays, cruise lines, hotels, motorhome hire and car hire.[1] Since it was founded in 1995, Canadian Affair has flown over one million passengers to Canada.[1]
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| Founded | 1995 | ||||||
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| Parent company | Transat A.T. | ||||||
| Headquarters | London, England | ||||||
| Key people | Chris Hedley – Managing Director Tom Cook - Finance Director Lee Rogers - Product & Commercial Director | ||||||
| Website | www.canadianaffair.com | ||||||
The company specialises in package and tailor-made travel to both Canada and Alaska, including rail tours, cruises, fly drives, escorted tours, wildlife holidays, ski holidays and activity holidays.[2] In 2017, Canadian Affair won the British Travel Awards Gold Award for Best Holiday Company to Canada (Large) as well as the Silver Award for Best Rail Holiday Company (Large).[3]
The company is based in the UK, and employs approximately seventy people in two offices located in London (Head Office) and Glasgow.[1]
Ownership
editOn 14 July 2006, Canadian Affair was acquired by Transat A.T. for £20.4 million (approximately C$42.8 million). The deal enabled Transat's airline Air Transat to fly Canadian Affair passengers, thereby securing seat sales for its flights to Canada. The agreement was made between Transat A.T. and the Airline Seat Company, which trades as Canadian Affair.
Transat A.T.
editTransat A.T. is an international tour operator and holiday travel specialist based in Montreal. The company offers vacation packages, hotel stays and air travel to some 60 destinations in 26 countries in the Americas, Europe and the Middle East. Transat operates mainly in Canada, Europe, the Caribbean, Mexico and the Mediterranean Basin. Transat is also active in air transportation, destination services and distribution.[4]
Key people
editCanadian Affair approximately 70 staff in London and Glasgow.[when?] Some of its key people include:
- Chris Hedley - Managing Director
- Lee Rogers - Product & Commercial Director
- Tom Cook - Finance Director
Operations
editCanadian Affair offers flights from London, Manchester and Glasgow (United Kingdom), as well as Dublin, to Toronto, Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver through its flights with Air Transat.[1]
The company also offers hotel accommodation, Avis car hire, Rocky Mountaineer train tours, self-drive holidays, Holland America Line and Celebrity cruises, motorhome hire with Fraserway, CanaDream and Cruise Canada, and escorted coach tours across Canada and Alaska.
Awards
editCanadian Affair has been recognised with several awards over the past decade, including the Consumer Favourite Tour Operator Award, which it has won for the past five years at the British Annual Canada Travel Awards.
Other awards include:
- 2018 - British Travel Awards - Best Holiday Company to Canada[5]
- 2018 - British Travel Awards - Best Rail Holidays Company[6]
- 2017 - British Travel Awards - Best Holiday Company to Canada[7]
- 2017 - British Travel Awards - Best Rail Holidays Company[8]
- 2016 - British Travel Awards - Best Holiday Company to Canada
- 2016 - British Travel Awards - Best Rail Holidays Company
- 2015 - British Annual Canada Travel Awards - Best Canadian Ski Tour Operator
- 2015 - British Travel Awards - Best Holiday Company to Canada
- 2015 - British Travel Awards - Silver Award for Best Rail Holidays Company
- 2015 - Travolution Awards - Best Website User Experience
- 2014 - British Travel Awards - Silver Award for Best Holiday Company to Canada
- 2013 - BACTA Explorer Award
- 2012 - CIMTIG Best Travel TV Advert - Canadian Affair is top of the Most Popular TV Advert of the Year poll launched by Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIMTIG)
- 2011 - Best Tour Operator to Canada
- 2010 - Best Tour Operator to Canada[9]
- 2009 - Consumer Favourite Tour Operator[10]
- 2009 - Consumer Favourite Ski Operator
- 2008 - Consumer Favourite Tour Operator
- 2008 - Consumer Favourite Ski Operator[11]
- 2007 - Consumer Favourite Tour Operator[12]
- 2007 - Outstanding Contribution to the Promotion of Canada[13]
- 2006 - Tourism Contribution to the province of Alberta
- 2005 - Best Direct Sale Tour Operator[14]
- 2004 - Best Direct Sale Tour Operator[15]
- 2003 - Best Canada Website
- 2002 - Best Canada Website
Sponsorship
editSince 2006, Canadian Affair has sponsored Canada Day in London. Each year Canada Day is celebrated at Trafalgar Square, where live Canadian acts, food stalls, and day-long celebrations take place.
Since 2017, parent company Transat has sponsored the Toronto Wolfpack Rugby League team, which Canadian Affair supports by providing flight, hotel and match ticket packages for Toronto Wolfpack and UK opposition supporters.[16][17]
Transat also has a partnership with SOS Children's Villages which Canadian Affair supports each year through their Big Hearts fundraising initiative.[18][19]
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Canadian Affair". AviationJobSearch.com. Simply Jobs Boards. Archived from the original on 12 March 2012. Retrieved 1 April 2012.
- ^ "Visit Canada on Holiday, Holidays to Canada | CanadianAffair.com". Archived from the original on 17 March 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
- ^ "2017 winners". britishtravelawards.com. Archived from the original on 16 March 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
- ^ "Air Transat Airline Profile | CAPA". centreforaviation.com. Archived from the original on 23 December 2017. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
- ^ "winners 2018". britishtravelawards.com. Archived from the original on 8 May 2019. Retrieved 16 May 2019.
- ^ "silver award". britishtravelawards.com. Archived from the original on 8 May 2019. Retrieved 16 May 2019.
- ^ "silver award 2017". britishtravelawards.com. Archived from the original on 16 March 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
- ^ "Winners 2017". britishtravelawards.com. Archived from the original on 16 March 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
- ^ British Travel Awards. "Past Accolades". Archived from the original on 26 March 2012. Retrieved 1 April 2012.
- ^ "Earn 1.28% cash-back when you purchase through Times Cashback with Canadian Affair". Times Cashback. The Times. Archived from the original on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 1 April 2012.
- ^ Transat (29 July 2010). "Canadian Affair hits the slopes with more choice for winter 2010/11". Archived from the original on 16 August 2010. Retrieved 28 October 2010.
- ^ Rocky (11 September 2010). "The Metro: A Mix of Cultural Flavours, Halifax NS". Canada Trip. Archived from the original on 17 September 2010. Retrieved 28 October 2010.
- ^ "Winners at British Annual Canada Traval Awards". Easier. 16 March 2007. Archived from the original on 11 March 2012. Retrieved 28 October 2010.
- ^ "Canadian Affair vouchers". 123vouchercodes.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2 September 2011. Retrieved 1 April 2012.
- ^ "Transat A.T. Inc. Acquires British Tour Operator Canadian Affair". PR Newswire Europe. Archived from the original on 27 May 2012. Retrieved 28 October 2010.
- ^ "Wolfpack Team Up with Air Transat at World Travel Conference | Toronto Wolfpack RLFC". Toronto Wolfpack RLFC. 14 November 2017. Retrieved 16 March 2018.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Toronto Wolfpack Fixtures City Break | Canadian Affair". Archived from the original on 17 March 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
- ^ "Transat renews its Partnership with SOS Children's Villages". soschildrensvillages.ca. Archived from the original on 16 March 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
- ^ "Canadian Affair | Company Information". canadianaffair.com. Archived from the original on 17 March 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2018.