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From drinking water straight from a glacier in Alberta to taking in foodie tours of Vancouver, Chloe Cann finds out the selling tips and highlights from agents who took part in Destination Canada’s recent MegaFAM
During a September heatwave travel agents from around the globe convened upon Halifax, Nova Scotia. The so-called City of Trees was the final meeting place for Canada Specialist agents on the Destination Canada MegaFAM. From their base of the Halifax Marriott Harbourfront Hotel – the only one in the city to be situated on the water – agents explored the city. They strolled along the Halifax waterfront boardwalk, peppered with seafood shacks and boutiques; tried some of the local delicacies, including seafood chowder and lobster; explored the National Historic Site of the Halifax Citadel, complete with infantry in uniform who offered guided tours; and took in neighbouring villages and nearby beauty spots on day trips out of the city.
Before returning home agents heard from Destination Canada’s vice-president, international (interim), Rupert Peters, as well as executives from Air Transat and Air Canada, and each other: the 10 different fam groups were entrusted with a GoPro, on which they captured footage of Canada’s provinces and territories that they could share. We spoke to agents on the Destination Canada MegaFAM to hear about their highlights and top selling tips.
Gabriele Scholes from Hallmark Travel said that Nova Scotia seemed like the perfect destination for golfers, outdoorsy types and families. “They have some amazing and well signposted hikes,” she explained. “Everyone who goes should do the Skyline Trail in the Cape Breton Highlands national park, which is part of the Cabot Trail. You go through forests and you can see moose and at the end it opens up on to the coastline, right at the tip of Cape Breton. There you can sometimes see whales and dolphins. It’s just beautiful.” The Nova Scotia itinerary also included kayaking, a wander around the Sherbrooke Village living museum and wine tasting. And Scholes added that the Maritime province could prove a great Canadian alternative to experiencing the fall colours in New England.
Prince Edward Island (PEI) was a destination full of surprises, said Nicola Whiteman from Horncastle Travel. “PEI has a very laid-back island pace. It’s very arable so there’s lots of fresh produce as well as fresh seafood. Charlottetown was beautiful: there were lots of lovely bars, restaurants and local beers, plus a fantastic nightlife. Food and drink is definitely a focus there. The best thing to do is base yourself in Charlottetown. We flew over from Halifax, but you can use the Confederation Bridge. They have wonderful summers, but very harsh winters – last year there was 17 feet of snow. A lot of places close down in September because they don’t have so many tourists. I’d recommend clients to go in June, July or August.”
From target practice rifle shooting to fishing for catfish and horse riding, agents on the Manitoba fam trip experienced the wild and rugged side of Canada. Lorraine Gill from The Co-operative Travel said: “There’s a real outdoorsy style of living there. We stayed in some lovely places, such as the cabins at Falcon Trails Resort, which are in the middle of the woods. One of my highlights was going to the Manito Ahbee Pow Wow in Winnipeg [a gathering that celebrates Indigenous culture]. There were hundreds of people taking part, from elders to young people, and it was so emotional to be there and see the dancing and the colourful outfits.” Gill recommended selling Manitoba as part of a multi-centre trip, particularly for clients who want to see Canada by rail. She added that it would be best suited to fit and outdoorsy clients without young children.
From target practice rifle shooting to fishing for catfish and horse riding, agents on the Manitoba fam trip experienced the wild and rugged side of Canada. Lorraine Gill from The Co-operative Travel said: “There’s a real outdoorsy style of living there. We stayed in some lovely places, such as the cabins at Falcon Trails Resort, which are in the middle of the woods. One of my highlights was going to the Manito Ahbee Pow Wow in Winnipeg [a gathering that celebrates Indigenous culture]. There were hundreds of people taking part, from elders to young people, and it was so emotional to be there and see the dancing and the colourful outfits.” Gill recommended selling Manitoba as part of a multi-centre trip, particularly for clients who want to see Canada by rail. She added that it would be best suited to fit and outdoorsy clients without young children.
The sprawling province of Ontario offers a high density of different experiences, according to Kirsty Philipson of Bon Voyage Travel. “You could be in Niagara Falls in the morning and skiing in the afternoon,” she said. “There’s something for everyone. We weren’t expecting the Blue Mountain Resort – which is known for its skiing – to be so busy in the summer. And what surprised us was just how green and lush the region was. I can only imagine how beautiful the fall colours must be there. We experienced Niagara every which way you can imagine – on it, through it, above it. And then we visited Niagara-on-the-Lake, which was a very quaint chocolate-box town.”
June Chalmers, from Alan Water Travel, said that learning the local “cowpoke” (cowboy) way of life was one of her trip highlights in Saskatchewan. “We went to a working cattle ranch, called La Reata, which was something totally different. People think of cowboys as being from Texas, so it was pretty cool to see they exist in Canada too. It’s quite a flat place but at Cypress Hill there’s an outdoor adventure park in the mountains where you can do zip-lining and climbing walls. The temperatures are very similar to what we get here in Scotland – spring and autumn would be a lovely time to visit. The area is geared towards outdoor adventures so you really need to go when the weather is good.”
Alberta is a popular destination for Sean Gordon’s clients. The agent who works for helloworld Stanthorpe [in Australia] explained that people often do a multi-centre trip, which takes in Banff, Jasper and neighbouring province British Columbia. “Once we got there it was everything I’d expected and more,” he said. “At Lake Louise we were drinking water straight from glacier – that was a definite highlight. Then in Jasper we were rafting on the same water we would have been drinking 12 hours earlier.”
“It’s quite remote and rural,” said Jonathan Roberts, from Audley Travel, of New Brunswick. “The scenery is not quite as dramatic as it is over in the west, but it’s equally beautiful in different ways with all the little coastal villages. It’s definitely more of a self-drive destination and clients that we would typically send there would be in their 60s with money to burn.” Pairing New Brunswick with either Nova Scotia or Prince Edward Island would be a great combination, he added.
The province of British Columbia is already known for its jaw-dropping scenery, but Margaret Hook from Appleby Travel said there were plenty of attractions beyond the great outdoors. “The food market tour we did on Granville Island, Vancouver, was fab,” she explained. “The tour guide was brilliant and you walk around all the different stalls trying cheeses, meats and bread. You get a real local insight and as it was two hours long and included so many tastings it was our lunch too, so that was good value.” The mixture of clean, cosmopolitan and friendly cities with beautiful landscapes on their doorstep would easily provide enough to keep even the most demanding clients happy on a two-week holiday, Hook added.
