Inside Ascend 2025: ALG Vacations Focuses on Luxury, Product Growth, & Innovative Advisor Tools

Apple Leisure Group (ALG) Vacations has wrapped up another successful Ascend conference, which brought over 1,000 travel industry professionals to Cancun for three days of networking, professional development, and company updates—delivered in typical ALGV theatrical style.

Held Oct. 15 to 18 (with an optional pre-FAM extension), the on-stage theme for Ascend 2025 was “Back to the Future,” complete with a DeLorean onstage and ALGV’s own “flux capacitor,” which ran on the three pillars of “progress,” “product,” and “partnership.” The message was clear: the company is continuing to grow, thanks to new innovations, product expansion, and, of course, the efforts of the travel advisor community.

Jacki Marks, ALGV’s global head of trade brands, took to the stage alongside travel advisor champion Carson Kressley to lead two days of general sessions. This year, the event had keynote speakers on both days, as well as workshop sessions and a tradeshow and lunch.

Always in hot demand, the event received over 2,800 applications during the week it was open, Marks told TMR back in August. This year, over two-thirds of the Ascend attendees—or “Ascendies,” a term coined by Jim Tedesco, vice president of sales—were first-timers, reflecting ALGV’s dedication to bringing new advisors into the fold.

For those who missed out on this year’s event: Ascend is set to return on Oct. 21 to 24, 2026.

ALG Vacations Updates: New Products for 2026 and Beyond

In the past year, ALGV added 200 destinations, including 55 in destinations like Madeira, Portugal, and Greece, said Melissa Backus, vice president, supplier engagement and partnership marketing at ALGV. The tour operator has also expanded in “far-flung” destinations like Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

On the hotel side, ALGV added close to 1,000 hotels in 2025, with more set to drop in the new year.

“The more product we have, the easier it is for these nice folks to beat the OTAs,” joked Tedesco.

A major topic at Ascend 2025 was the growth of ALGV’s luxury offerings. This includes both the new Luxe by ALG Vacations and the upcoming addition of Mr. and Mrs. Smith properties available to book via the VAX system.

During the executive panel, Marks said the Luxe by ALG Vacations line was developed in response to conversations with the trade, which revealed that travel advisors need an elevated customer service line, the right product, and “VIP exclusives” for their luxury clients.

The luxury line has tripled in size since launch, and, according to Ray Snisky, group president of ALG Vacations, Luxe has double the attachment rate for first-class air. The promote the line, the trade show included a new Luxe booth (pictured above), which featured a 20-person terrace where advisors could sit and enjoy the “Luxe” difference.

“Thank you for supporting Luxe and your feedback because we’re only going to continue to invest and get better in it,” said Marks.

ALGV is about to add even more high-end, boutique properties in 2026. Hyatt acquired the Mr. and Mrs. Smith Collection in 2023 for $66 million, and ALGV is in the process of adding that portfolio to its VAX system. Currently, Mr. and Mrs. Smith boasts over 2,000 hotels and 250 villas in 113 countries, which will significantly expand ALGV’s luxury offerings in Europe.

On the home front, ALG Vacations has partnered with Under Canvas to add the new “glamping” product category. Described by Backus as “luxury outdoor resorts offering custom-designed tents and upscale amenities,” ALGV already has packages available in 10 U.S. national parks, with more to come in the near future.

Improving the Travel Advisor Experience at ALGV

Over 80% of ALGV’s business comes from travel advisors, and the tour operator pledged to continue working on improvements to make booking with them as convenient and rewarding as possible.

One major update readers can look forward to is a new travel advisor portal, set to roll out in the new year. Described as a “game-changer” by Anderson Hernandez, senior vice president, contact centers at ALGV and Hyatt, the new portal will serve as a “one-stop shop” where travel advisors can view key performance reports, support ticket status, and even WAVES reward points, all in one, scrollable page.

ALGV is also continuing to experiment with A.I. technology. The promised Amelia tool for advisors is coming, although Marks said during the executive panel that the company is working out some kinks, based on travel advisor feedback.

Hernandez praised the new copilot generative A.I. solution that’s been integrated into the call centers. “In the last three months, we have had the best performance metrics [and] the best satisfaction that we’ve ever had during my first five years,” he said.

ALGV has hit record-breaking customer service numbers in 2025: in addition to maintaining a 92% customer service score, the tour operator reduced its average speed to answer standard calls from 11 minutes to just 6, and its during travel calls from 6 minutes to only 3 minutes.

During the media Q&A, Snisky predicted that A.I. will continue to shape the travel industry, and warned that it will “propel” early adopters among travel companies, creating a gap “unlike any other technology gap that’s ever happened in the history of travel.”

Still, the president argued that the industry requires empathy, action, and care to thrive in the crowded marketplace. “The human element… that’s the antidote for A.I.,” he explained. “Kindness, for us, is really in our culture.”