by Jen Mallia
Last updated: 9:00 AM ET, Tue August 18, 2026
Research shows that there is demand for Indigenous tourist experiences in Canada, but when it comes to finding and participating in them, Canadians tend to fall flat. Intrepid Travel released a study it conducted, which found that while 57 percent of Canadian travellers say they are interested in participating in an Indigenous experience while travelling within our own country, only 18 percent actually have. Some of the barriers listed included not knowing where to find the experiences (54 percent) and not knowing whether an experience was actually owned by Indigenous Peoples (30 percent). The biggest barrier cited was not knowing enough about Indigenous tourism to even know where to start (63 percent).
“Canadians are telling us they are interested in Indigenous-led tourism, but many simply do not know where to begin,” says Christian Wolters, President of Intrepid Travel Canada. “For the travel industry, that means working directly with Indigenous-owned and led tourism businesses and making their experiences a more visible part of the trips travellers are already considering.”
Intrepid wanted to help close the disconnect. At the 2026 IMPACT Conference in Victoria BC in January 2026, the tour company had announced a $500,000 commitment over five years to support the growth and promotion of Indigenous tourism in Canada. To further this commitment, today it announced another partnership — with BC-based Talaysay Tours.
Beginning in 2027, travellers on Intrepid’s Grand Canadian Rockies itinerary will take part in We Are the Land, a 120-minute guided trail experience at Lost Lake in Whistler, created and led by Talaysay Tours exclusively for Intrepid Travel. The experience is described as bringing together “Indigenous storytelling, cultural ecology, land stewardship and salmon knowledge” and concludes with a tea ceremony.
“We are the original stewards of these lands and waters, and to our people, the land is everything — it is our culture, our identity, our history and our way of life," says Talaysay Campo, Co-Owner of Talaysay Tours. "I’m honoured to share these teachings through Talaysay Tours and, together with Intrepid Travel, introduce We Are The Land, in Skʼnwikwʼn. Through this experience, travellers will walk the land with us, discover Indigenous knowledge and learn about the living relationships that have connected our people to these mountains since time immemorial."
Intrepid is also adding a Huron-Wendat experience in Wendake, Quebec, to its Eastern Canada by Rail trip in 2027, including a guided visit to the museum and Huron-Wendat longhouse at the Huron Traditional Site.
By 2027, 75 percent of Intrepid Travel’s Canadian tours will include an Indigenous-led experience, bringing Intrepid closer towards the company’s long-term goal of integrating Indigenous-led experiences across all of its Canadian itineraries.
“We’re committed to Indigenous-led tourism. This partnership with Talaysay Tours is an important step in putting that commitment into practice,” Wolters says. “It reflects how we want to grow this work in Canada: through thoughtful experiences shaped by our partners.”
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