As part of its Iconic Experiences campaign, Canadian Affair will launch a dedicated campaign microsite called "Unrivalled Canada" next Monday (19 September), with over-branded versions of the webpages available for travel agents to use with their own logos and contact details.

Canadian Affair managing director Chris Hedley told TTG the campaign was inspired by consumer behaviour, with clients currently booking earlier, spending more money, and focusing on bucket-list experiences such as helicopter tours over Niagara Falls and whale- and bear-watching.

“Post-pandemic, people are really taking their travel plans up a notch, and we are trying to tap into that demand for experiences,” he said.

“There’s huge demand going into 2023," Hedley continued. "Despite the rising cost of living, people still have the propensity to spend on once-in-a-lifetime experiences. At the moment, demand for experiences such as the Bear Lodges is higher than supply."

According to Hedley, the new content-rich site will feature a destination section getting under the skin of Canada’s vast regions and a section covering "journeys" with lots of tailor-made packages and example itineraries, plus an experiences hub detailing the country’s vast array of thrilling activities.

“The key for us since we started selling through the trade in 2018 is to do the heavy lifting for agents because Canada is such a diverse and quite complex destination," said Hedley.

"So retail agents will be able to show their customers the website and those who work from home will be able to share it with clients. We hope it will help agents to sell Canada and inspire their clients to book."

Following the success of its recent trade training events around the country, the tour operator is also planning three more trade-focused training days this winter, as well as an agency takeover campaign this October.

The campaign will see the company’s on-the-road business development executives will supplying shops with banners, branding and Canadian treats to promote the destination directly to high street customers.