TORONTO — The travel boom from the Canadian market is real. So it’s no wonder that  Intrepid Travel sees the opportunity for growth from the Canadian market as “significant.”

That’s the word from Intrepid’s CEO, James Thornton, in Toronto last week to check in with Intrepid’s Canadian team, led by President, Canada, Christian Wolters, and Intrepid’s many partners in this market.

“Canada is our best performing market globally right now,” Thornton told Travelweek in an interview.

“In 2025, bookings out of Canada are up 32%. Globally, bookings are up 17%,” he noted.

“Intrepid sees a huge opportunity here and that’s reflected in the changes we’ve made recently in our team strategy,” he added.

For years Intrepid had a North American team for both the Canadian and U.S. markets. In June 2024 Intrepid announced that long-time Intrepid exec Leigh Barnes would step into the role of President of the Americas, while Wolters had been appointed to the newly created position of President of Canada. Wolters had been a founding team member of Intrepid in Canada from 2008 to 2015.

Morocco with Intrepid Travel

“Now we have dedicated Canadian and U.S. teams. Our office here opened in 2008, and now we have a dedicated Canadian team for the first time in a long time,” said Thornton.

One thing that hasn’t changed is Intrepid’s commitment to the travel trade. “Travel advisors are a very important part of our distribution mix,” Thornton told Travelweek.

About half of Intrepid’s bookings in the Canadian market are from travel advisors.

Thornton noted that Wolters “has a very strong background with the travel trade, as does Caroline.”

That’s Caroline Tinsley, who last month was promoted to the newly created role of Head of Partnerships, Canada, reflecting the company’s strategic focus on strengthening its presence in the market.

Travel advisors are well-versed in Intrepid’s travel styles (including Basix, Original, Comfort and Premium), and its 116 destinations. The company is always looking for ways to strengthen that awareness, with high-profile events like its recent activation at the Toronto International Film Festival. Intrepid offers a dedicated travel advisor portal and fams as well.

When it comes to awareness among Canadian travellers of Intrepid’s travel style, Thornton knows that some sun-starved vacationers in this market may be more familiar “with sun and sand, cruise and big group travel.”

Clearly though, from the soaring numbers in this market, the company’s small-group approach is resonating here. Especially popular are active trips, and shorter durations. “People have cost and time constraints but they don’t just want to ‘flop and drop’,” said Thornton. Intrepid’s new Short Breaks program looks to fill that niche.

Intrepid recently released its travel trend predictions for 2026. One is Off the Beaten Path Exploration. “With overtourism, it feels like 90% of the world’s travellers are going to 10% of the world’s destinations,” said Thornton.

Intrepid’s Not Hot list, an annual tradition, aims to boost sustainable and responsible travel by spotlighting off the beaten path destinations. The 2026 edition of the list came out last month.

Another trend is family travel. Thornton noted that Intrepid has seen a 20% increase in family travel bookings. “People are looking for immersive experiences that give them the opportunity to re-connect with their families,” he said.

With that in mind, Intrepid is upping its discount for young travellers. For travellers ages 17 and under, instead of 10% off, Intrepid will boost the discount to 20% off, “and that’s a permanent change,” said Thornton.

Here’s a closer look at the five travel trends Intrepid is seeing for 2026 …

The Rise of Socially Active Travel

Wellness is going communal. Today’s travellers are embracing collective wellness, seeking connection, healing, and shared rituals through experiences like run clubs, group hikes, and surf camps. Intrepid has seen a 9% growth in active trips year-on-year, and 23% growth in its multi-active range. In response to this demand, 28 new active trips have been introduced for 2026 across destinations such as Norway, Vietnam and Mexico.

Shorter, Transformative Trips

More travellers are choosing short, immersive getaways that deliver high impact in less time. Trips under 10 days now account for a significant portion of Intrepid’s bookings, growing 11% year-on-year, with more than half of surveyed travellers saying they prefer this length of travel. Intrepid’s ‘Short Breaks’ features 4-6-day adventures. The range includes 10 brand new itineraries across Latin America and Europe and 45 refreshed trips worldwide, curated to fit a condensed timeframe.

Off-the-Beaten-Path Exploration

Overtourism is fuelling a shift toward less-visited, culturally rich destinations.

Intrepid’s bookings to Central Asia are up 41%, with Premium bookings in Eastern Europe up 121%. Notably, the ‘Stans’ — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan — are making a comeback, with bookings rising 50% year-on-year.

Reclaiming Quality Family Time

Family bookings are up 10% globally and 20% in North America, with 87% of surveyed families saying they want to explore new regions as a unit. In response, Intrepid has launched eight new family trips for 2026 and boosted its child discount from 10% to 20% for children aged 17 and under. Popular itineraries include Botswana, Slovenia, and the Galapagos.

Travelling for Human Connection

Intrepid notes that while 89% of people say they’ll use AI for travel, 74% say their top priority is connecting with local people and immersing in culture. Solo bookings are up 10%, and feedback consistently highlights group bonding and shared experiences as major travel highlights. Intrepid’s 2026 product development prioritizes community-led tourism, village stays and culturally immersive itineraries that foster interaction.