Aqua Expeditions has launched the Circolo Aqua Trade Loyalty Program, the first phase of a new global loyalty initiative designed to reward travel advisors and partner companies. The program will officially debut during PURE Marrakech 2025 and applies retroactively to all qualifying bookings with departure dates from January 1, 2025.
"Circolo Aqua is more than a loyalty program — it's a curated circle of our most trusted trade partners," said Francesco Galli Zugaro, founder and CEO of Aqua Expeditions. "We wanted to celebrate the individuals and companies who drive our growth by offering meaningful rewards and recognition, structured with the same care and attention to detail we bring to every voyage."
The program operates on a tier-based system using miles as currency. The first rewards will be issued in January 2026, based on 2025 calendar year production. A guest loyalty program component will be announced separately.
Circolo Aqua divides participants into individual travel advisors and partner companies, which include tour operators and destination management companies. Both segments follow identical four-tier systems: Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum. Tier placement depends on total annual production, calculated from gross revenue for individual advisors and net revenue for partner agencies.
Individual travel advisors receive Aqua travel vouchers, issued each January, based on the previous year's gross production. These vouchers remain valid for two years and must be applied to bookings reaching Reserved or Confirmed status within that timeframe. The participating advisor must personally travel on the booking, though vouchers may cover other guests. Vouchers are non-transferable, cannot be combined with promotional offers such as early bird discounts and are limited to two per booking.
Partner companies earn backend commission credit, calculated as a percentage of net production, ranging from 0.5-2.5%. This credit is issued in January and must be used on bookings confirmed by the end of March in the year of issuance, although departure dates may occur later. The credit supplements existing frontend commissions and cannot be combined with other discounts.
The program integrates with Aqua's enhanced Agent Portal, providing real-time tracking of tier status, Miles earned, booking values, progress toward next tier levels, upcoming rewards, redemption windows and bonus challenges. The system operates on a transparent $1-equals-1-mile structure.
The company plans to announce details about its Circolo Aqua Guest Loyalty Program in the near future.
Editor’s Note: This article was generated by AI, based on a press release distributed by Aqua Expeditions. It was fact-checked and reviewed by a TravelAge West editor.