Destination Vancouver is returning to Cruise360 Australasia with a powerful reason for Australian cruise specialists to brush up on their destination knowledge. One advisor will win a six-night Vancouver holiday for two, with Air Canada flights, luxury hotel stays and a packed program of city experiences.
Destination Vancouver will attend the event for a second consecutive year at booth 32. Cruise360 Australasia will be held at the International Convention Centre Sydney on 17–18 September 2026, bringing together cruise advisors, agency owners, cruise lines, destinations and suppliers from across the industry.
Behind the prize is a simple sales message. Destination Vancouver wants advisors to see the city as more than a place clients pass through on their way to a ship.
For travellers cruising to Alaska or exploring British Columbia, Vancouver makes a compelling pre- or post-cruise destination in its own right, offering waterfront scenery, restaurants, neighbourhoods, attractions and remarkably easy access from Canada Place.
And then there is the prize, which is considerably more exciting than another conference tote bag.
One Advisor Will Win a Vancouver Getaway for Two
One eligible Australian CLIA-accredited cruise specialist will win a six-night Vancouver trip for two, including return economy flights from Sydney or Brisbane with Air Canada.
The accommodation component includes two nights each at three of Vancouver’s leading hotels:
- The Westin Bayshore Vancouver
- Fairmont Hotel Vancouver
- JW Marriott Parq Vancouver
The winning advisor and guest will also experience an impressive collection of Vancouver attractions and tours.
These include a Taste Vancouver Gastown Tour, Harbour Air Classic Vancouver Panorama Tour, Sea Vancouver City & Nature Zodiac Boat Tour and Capilano Suspension Bridge Park.
Also included are Vancouver Foodie Tours’ Granville Market Tour, a Forbidden Vancouver Walking Tour, Grouse Mountain dinner and mountain admission, plus a private behind-the-scenes experience at Vancouver Aquarium.
A Destination Experience Pass provides complimentary access to additional attractions and tours.
By the time the winners return to Australia, they should know considerably more about Vancouver than the location of the airport baggage carousel.
How Travel Advisors Can Enter
Entry rewards professional development and attendance at Cruise360.
Advisors must first visit Destination Vancouver at booth 32 during Cruise360 Australasia in Sydney on 17–18 September 2026 and scan the QR code available at the booth to complete the competition entry form.
They must then complete two training programs.
1. Complete the Vancouver Specialist Program
New participants can enrol in the official Vancouver Specialist Program here: https://english-vancouverspecialist.talentlms.com/
Advisors should use promotional code 2026CRUISE360 when completing the program for the competition.
The specialist training is designed to deepen advisors’ understanding of Vancouver and give them greater confidence when recommending accommodation, experiences and pre- or post-cruise stays.
2. Complete Air Canada Global Sales University
Advisors must also register for and complete Air Canada Global Sales University here: https://learninglibrary.com/AirCanada/a/
The airline training provides travel professionals with greater product knowledge and complements Destination Vancouver’s destination education component.
Advisors who have already achieved certification through the required programs are automatically eligible to enter the draw, subject to the competition’s terms and conditions.
All required program components must be completed by 15 October 2026.
Vancouver Makes the Cruise Sale Bigger
For travel advisors, the initiative has commercial merit beyond the attraction of winning a holiday.
A cruise booking doesn’t have to begin and end with the ship. Advisors with detailed Vancouver knowledge can turn a straightforward Alaska cruise into a richer holiday that includes extra nights, dining, sightseeing, and local experiences.
That translates into a better holiday for the client and potentially greater value in the booking.
Vancouver is particularly well placed for such extensions. Its combination of waterfront attractions, hotels, food experiences, mountain scenery and proximity to the cruise terminal allows advisors to build substantial itineraries without forcing clients into complicated transfers.
Destination Vancouver’s return to Cruise360 therefore carries a useful message for the Australian trade: know the destination and the selling opportunities multiply.
And for one fortunate cruise advisor, professional development could come with the rather agreeable reward of six nights in Vancouver.
There are certainly worse ways to study.
By: Sandra Jones – © 2026.
Read Time: 3 minutes.
Author Bio:
Sandra has spent a working lifetime quietly rescuing journeys, one itinerary, one anxious caller, one impossible connection at a time. Years in Australia’s finest travel agencies taught her the art of calm, how to find a flight in a fog of cancellations, how to soothe a traveller when luggage wanders, how to turn nine frantic days in Europe into something resembling sense. Qualified, seasoned, endlessly patient, she learned that good travel advice is part logistics, part listening.
But the storyteller in her was always waiting its turn. Writing offered a new map, a way to turn experience into reflection, detail into delight. At Global Travel Media, Sandra now writes the truths only insiders know: the mishaps, the laughter, the grace found between gates and goodbyes. She reminds us that travel, for all its fuss, is still one of life’s better ideas.
