TORONTO — It’s been just about a year since Tom Smith arrived in Toronto to serve as Intrepid Travel’s GM, North America.

With a title change – Smith is now VP, Sales and Marketing, North America – and 12 months of experience in this market, Smith says he’s amazed at just how well-known Intrepid is with Canadian travel advisors.

“I thought I’d have to do more educational sessions, informing agents and customers about who we are and what exactly we do, but it’s been the total opposite. Agents and partners have been reaching out to us at events and conferences telling us how much they love what we do and asking how they can book or partner with us,” he tells Travelweek, one year after the 2022 interview.

Bookings are going strong out of Canada for the company. Intrepid recently released its list of the top 10 itineraries Canadians have booked for this summer. They include Iceland Discovery and Iceland Express in the top two spots, followed by Best of Galapagos, Morocco Uncovered and Highlights of Italy. Rounding out the top 10 are Best of Morroco, Highlights of Scotland, Croatian Cruising, Premium Iceland and Scotland’s Orkney Islands.

Read on for more Canada-specific market intel in this interview with Smith, including the fact that Canada no longer accounts for one in five Intrepid bookings from the North American market – it’s now one in four.

Travelweek: What have you observed – and what surprises you – about Intrepid’s Canadian market?  

Smith: “The awareness of and passion for Intrepid’s style of travel! I thought I’d have to do more educational sessions, informing agents and customers about who we are and what exactly we do, but it’s been the total opposite. Agents and partners have been reaching out to us at events and conferences telling us how much they love what we do and asking how they can book or partner with us.

“Travelling responsibly is becoming more of a factor in customers’ decision making. With the changing climate starting to impact and be top of mind for more and more people – especially with the recent, tragic wildfires – we’re seeing a large increase in customers making a conscious effort to choose a company that is trying to reduce the negative impacts of going on vacation.”

Travelweek: What’s selling particularly well for Intrepid out of Canada right now, and are there any top picks that are selling so well that agents should tell their clients to book quickly or be out of luck? 

Smith: “Morocco and the Middle East (especially Egypt and Jordan) are selling like crazy! Specifically, Intrepid’s 13-day Morocco Uncovered itinerary and our 8-day Egypt Adventure are among our most booked trips this year.

“Antarctica also seems to be showing no signs of losing its popularity. We recently released dates and plans for our 2024/2025 season in the continent, which will not only include new itineraries but also features a new pricing approach to provide travellers with a better deposit structure and better lead in pricing for each cabin category. Previously, deposits were set at a fixed 20%. For the new season, Intrepid will offer a lower fixed deposit of US$1,000 for trips 14 days and under, and $2,000 for trips longer than 14 days.”

Travelweek: Any stats you can share to underline the Canadian market’s recovery for Intrepid? 

Smith: “Revenue from our Canadian bookings has doubled compared to 2022, year-to-date. It’s our best start to a year ever in North America, so we’re on track to smash our record annual revenue by over 40%.”

Travelweek: Last year you mentioned that one in five North American bookings come from Canada. Is that still the case, or has it gone up or down? 

Smith: “That has actually increased to one in four now, which is fantastic!”

Travelweek: What promotions does Intrepid have in-market right now that you want Canadian travel agents to know about? 

Smith: “For agents we have our Intrepid Bucks incentive where for every $10,000 in Intrepid Group products they sell, they’ll receive $500 Intrepid Bucks to use towards booking their next group adventure – on top of our Agent Discount program which all registered agents are eligible for!”

Travelweek: What percentage of Intrepid’s bookings come from travel agents, and what do you want Canadian agents to know in this fantastic recovery year? 

Smith: “So far this year, 45% of Intrepid’s bookings in Canada have come from travel agents. This percentage is far higher than last year, which is evidence of the strong recovery we’re seeing from advisors.

“In North America, we’re seeing an amazing rebound in appetite for international travel for 2023, shifting away from the domestic travel trend we saw emerge over the last few years. Canadians are ready to travel further afield.

“Agents should also know that we’re constantly expanding our product offerings and have dozens of new tours launching in 2023 that they can offer their clients. Each offers an alternative to more over-visited locations, providing travellers with fresh and interesting ways to explore new areas of the world – or explore beloved destinations in new, more responsible ways. For example, new destinations we’re operating trips in this year include Pakistan, Timor-Leste and Comoros. “

More information about Intrepid Travel is at intrepidtravel.com/ca. And for Intrepid’s travel agent portal, see https://www.intrepidtravel.com/ca/agent-portal/faqs.