Partnership boosts Indigenous-led experiences, with a goal of 75% inclusion on Canadian tours by 2026
Intrepid Travel has signed a landmark partnership agreement with the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC), committing $500,000 over the next five years to support the growth and promotion of Indigenous tourism across Canada. Through the partnership, Intrepid will increase the number of Indigenous-led experiences across its Canadian itineraries, co-develop community-led products and co-create new signature Indigenous-centered adventures. By the end of 2026, 75% of Intrepid’s Canadian tours will include at least one Indigenous experience with a long-term goal of 100% inclusion across all itineraries.
To find out more about the partnership, Travel Courier caught up with Christian Wolters, President of Canada, Intrepid Travel.
Do you think that those vacationing in this country are generally aware of Indigenous tourism experiences?
Awareness of Indigenous tourism in Canada is growing, alongside a broader shift in how travellers want to experience the country. We’re seeing more interest from people who are looking for cultural connections and more meaningful, purpose-driven travel. Destination Canada research shows that over 60% of highly engaged travellers are now looking to include Indigenous-led experiences in the way they explore a destination.
At the same time, many travellers still aren’t sure where to find Indigenous experiences that are authentic, trusted, and led by communities themselves. Creating clearer, more accessible pathways to discover and engage with Indigenous tourism is an important opportunity for the sector, and one that partnerships like this are designed to help support.
You’ve earmarked $500,000 for this. What sort of projects will the money be spent on?
The $500,000 commitment is designed to support Indigenous tourism in a practical, long-term way, with a clear focus on both building experiences and helping them succeed. The investment is spread over five years and structured evenly between development and promotion.
Each year, $50,000 will be invested into ITAC’s Destination Fund to support Indigenous-led tourism business development and community-driven experiences. This includes helping experiences become market-ready, strengthening operations, and supporting Indigenous entrepreneurs as they grow on their own terms.
We’re investing not just in developing Indigenous tourism experiences, but in promoting them so they can grow and succeed. That’s why we will also invest another $50,000 every year into promoting these experiences through media trips, storytelling campaigns, advertising, and influencer programs, putting the weight of our marketing engine behind them. Because our goal isn’t just to launch experiences, it’s to make sure they’re seen, supported, and set up for long-term success.
Are you planning to work with Indigenous travel experiences throughout the country or will your efforts be concentrated in certain provinces and territories?
Our goal is to integrate more experiences so that every Intrepid itinerary in Canada includes an Indigenous partner. These itineraries span from the Canadian Rockies to Eastern Canada and the Maritimes so the work will span the country.
We also plan to create all-new adventures that put Indigenous-led experiences at the centre. We’re also in the early exploration stages and excited about a few potential new adventures, including expanding into the Northwest Territories for the first time for Northern Lights experiences through the lens of Indigenous storytelling, wilderness camping and guided hikes in the Rockies, and developing cultural storytelling and heritage experiences on Vancouver Island.
What sort of Indigenous experiences does Intrepid now offer tourists?
Experiences include storytelling sessions, traditional food, hands-on cultural activities, and immersive nature-based adventures, offering travellers authentic connections with Indigenous communities across Canada. Highlights include:
- Banff – Indigenous Medicine Walk: Learn about traditional knowledge of local flora and fauna on a guided walk through Banff National Park. Gain insight into how Indigenous peoples understand and interact with the natural environment. On our Classic Canadian Rockies trip.
- Maritimes (Lennox Island First Nation): Meet a Mi’kmaq guide at the cultural centre, explore Mi’kmaq history and culture, and try preparing traditional bannock over a campfire. This experience combines storytelling, culinary tradition, and hands-on participation. On our Maritimes adventure.
- Quebec (Wendake): Sit by three hearth fires in a traditional longhouse at the Huron-Wendat Museum and hear myths, legends, and stories from a native storyteller, offering a deep dive into Huron-Wendat culture and oral traditions. On our Discover Quebec trip.
Do you foresee further ties between Intrepid and those offering Indigenous travel operators in this country?
Yes, absolutely. This partnership is designed as a long-term commitment, not a one-off initiative. Beyond the financial investment, Intrepid is focused on building deeper, ongoing relationships with Indigenous tourism operators across Canada through product development, promotion, and collaboration guided by Indigenous leadership.
As part of this work, Intrepid has set a goal that 75% of its Canadian itineraries will include at least one Indigenous experience by the end of 2026, with a long-term goal of full inclusion across all trips. The partnership with the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada also creates a framework for co-creating new, community-led experiences and Indigenous-centered adventures over time.
Are there any obstacles that Indigenous tourism operators now experience that you’re targeting?
Many Indigenous tourism operators still face real barriers that make it harder to fully benefit from that demand. These challenges can include access to funding, infrastructure and workforce capacity, as well as limited visibility in mainstream travel channels.
Research from ITAC shows that many Indigenous-led businesses are still navigating post-pandemic recovery, even as traveller interest increases. In many cases, experiences exist and are ready to welcome visitors, but travellers simply do not know where to find them, or how to book them with confidence.
Many Indigenous tourism operators are offering incredible, high-quality experiences, but they often need stronger visibility and support to reach travellers. Our goal is to help remove some of those barriers so tourism delivers real, lasting benefits for Indigenous communities.
Indigenous peoples are found throughout the world. Does Intrepid always try to work closely with them?
Yes. Working with Indigenous peoples and communities is core to how we approach travel globally. We believe meaningful travel happens when experiences are led by the people whose cultures, lands and stories travellers are engaging with, and when tourism delivers real benefits back to those communities.
As an Australian-owned company, reconciliation has been a formal part of how we operate for several years. In 2019, we introduced our first Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) in partnership with Reconciliation Australia, to hold ourselves accountable for how we engage with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. That work has since evolved through multiple RAPs, embedding commitments around respectful partnerships, Indigenous employment and training, support for Indigenous-owned businesses, and truth-telling in how we communicate with travellers. Today, around 70% of our trips in Australia include First Nations experiences developed in close collaboration with communities.
Globally, we apply the same principles wherever we operate. Whether we’re working with First Nations partners in Canada, Sami hosts in Sweden, Zapotec communities in Mexico or reindeer herders in Mongolia, our focus is on community-led, culturally respectful experiences that support local economies. Working closely with Indigenous communities isn’t a one-off initiative for us, it’s central to how we create travel that is responsible, meaningful and mutually beneficial.
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