An incentive trip to Vancouver has delivered an unexpected personal milestone for one romantic travel agent.
Sam Stratten from Flight Centre Cherrybrook travelled to British Columbia with his partner Andrea and their two-year-old son, Wyatt, in March. Sam was the winning advisor in an incentive run by Destination Vancouver and Air Canada.
The prize included round-trip airfare, six nights of accommodation and a selection of Vancouver experiences.
For Sam, the trip was a return to a destination that had already become deeply meaningful to his family.
He and Andrea first travelled to Canada together after COVID, spending two weeks exploring Vancouver, Whistler, Squamish and Alberta. They returned the following year with Sam’s two children and Vancouver quickly became what the family describes as their “second home.”
On their latest visit, the family spent six days exploring Vancouver and two days in Squamish, making use of many of the experiences included in Sam’s prize package, including a Granville Island Market Tour with Vancouver Foodie Tours.
They also attended a Vancouver Canucks game and explored the city at their own pace, something Sam says is central to how he prefers to experience a destination.
“We like to experience a destination as if we live there,” says Sam. “That meant wandering through Granville Island markets, exploring quieter neighbourhoods, and taking the time to soak everything in. It’s that easy, everyday lifestyle combined with incredible surroundings that really stands out.”
Sam knew he wanted to propose during their trip to British Columbia and the perfect moment came unexpectedly aboard the Peak 2 Peak Gondola in Whistler.
He had carried the ring for six days, waiting for the right opportunity, and when he and his family found themselves alone in a gondola car, he pretended the height was getting to him and crouched down. When Andrea leaned in to check if he was okay, Sam held out the ring.
“I had planned a big speech with everything I wanted to say, but in that moment, I couldn’t get the words out,” says Sam.
“British Columbia is where our relationship truly grew, so proposing in Whistler just made sense.” Unable to deliver the speech he’d planned, Sam later wrote Andrea a song to express what he couldn’t say in the moment.
Destination Vancouver’s Vancouver Specialist Program provides travel advisors with destination knowledge and resources to help them confidently sell and recommend Vancouver to their clients.
Incentives such as this are designed to encourage more travel advisors to complete the program and deepen their knowledge and connection with the destination.
“The training I completed has also empowered me in my role to become more confident when creating itineraries for my clients,” says Sam. “Not only do I come across as more confident, but also more passionate. Vancouver will also be top on my list of recommendations for holidays to Canada.”
