Tour operation now offers eight Intrepid Canadian itineraries
Air Canada Vacations is now offering eight of Intrepid Travel’s Canadian itineraries, a move it says will enable it to effortlessly reach out to those of us who are eager to better see and experience our home and native land.
The collaboration, announced early this month, sees the Intrepid small-group adventure trips now available through Air Canada Vacations’ booking platform and travel advisor network. Choosing Canadian experiences for the initial offering reflects growing interest among Canadians in exploring their own backyard, Air Canada Vacations says.
Domestic travel continued to grow in early 2026, with Canadians making 69.1 million trips within the country in the first quarter, up 2.3% year over year, according to Statistics Canada.
The new relationship enables Air Canada Vacations clients to discover Canada through locally led Intrepid trips that range from the Rocky Mountains and Eastern Canada by rail to Newfoundland and the Maritimes.
Once seen as a more niche way to travel, small-group purpose-led tourism is quickly becoming mainstream. This momentum is already showing in Intrepid Travel’s growth in Canada, with bookings up 26% year-over year in 2026, making Canada the Australian company’s strongest-growing market globally this year.
Air Canada Vacations vice-president Nino Montagnese said the Australian firm Intrepid was a natural fit for his company, stating that it has a proven track record in delivering holidays that clearly provide clients with close-up insights into the destinations that they are visiting.
“Intrepid is a leader in small-group adventure travel and has built a strong reputation for delivering authentic, locally led experiences that help travellers connect more meaningfully with destinations and communities,” Air Canada Vacations’ vice-president Nino Montagnese said of long-running Intrepid. “We were drawn to Intrepid because of its expertise, its commitment to responsible tourism, and its ability to offer the kind of immersive travel experiences that many Canadians are increasingly seeking. Together, we can combine Intrepid’s adventure travel experience with Air Canada Vacations’ trusted vacation planning expertise and broad distribution network.”
ACV traditionally has sent large numbers of people to sunspots but Montagnese says it has long offered more than beach destinations, and the Intrepid collaboration meshes well with its broader product diversification strategy.
“Today’s travellers are looking for more choice and more diverse experiences, and we’re seeing growing interest in experiential travel, whether that’s exploring Canada’s national parks,discovering local cultures, or travelling in smaller groups with expert guides. Adventure travel means different things to diff.erent people, and many of these experiences are accessible to a wide range of travellers. The smaller-group approach allows for a more customized experience with the level of adventure highlighted for each tour.”
He added that the new relationship expands the range of travel experiences available through Air Canada Vacations and is aligned with its broader product diversification strategy, both in terms of products and destinations. It also introduces Air Canada Vacations customers to Intrepid’s style of small-group adventure travel.
“As Canadians look to travel within their own backyard, we are launching with a collection of Canadian itineraries and see this as an opportunity to broaden the experiences available to our customers while continuing to evolve our product offering in line with traveller demand. This reflects Air Canada Vacations’ strategy to continue building on the strength of the Air Canada network while offering customers more diverse and unique travel experiences.
“This relationship allows us to expand our tour offering in a thoughtful way and introduce more Canadians to small-group adventure travel, while continuing to evolve our product portfolio in line with traveller interests. We are confident that this offering will give Air Canada Vacations customers exactly what they are looking for. This relationship reflects a broader evolution in travel. More and more, travellers are seeking meaningful experiences that allow them to connect with destinations, cultures and local communities in a deeper way. By collaborating with Intrepid, we’re making these types of experiences more accessible to Canadians while showcasing the incredible diversity of travel opportunities available both across Canada and beyond.”
The partnership was also applauded by Christian Wolters, who oversees Intrepid’s Canadian operation.
“Air Canada Vacations is one of Canada’s most trusted travel brands, with an incredible reach across the country, and together we have an opportunity to introduce more Canadians to the depth and diversity of their own backyard,” said Wolters. “Canada is becoming a bigger destination for Canadians. We want to show them that they don’t have to travel far to find a big adventure.”
Meanwhile, Montagnese noted that Air Canada customers and Aeroplan members will also have another way to access Intrepid’s small-group adventures, with Aeroplan members able to earn points on the flight portion of their trip and redeem points for Intrepid trips offered through Air Canada Vacations.
