For those wondering whether travel expos are still attracting qualified consumers, evidence from a recent month of shows would support a strong “Affirmative”.

Long-time partners the Intrepid Group and Flight Centre together recorded their most successful Flight Centre Expo season in Canadian history at the agency’s 2015 shows. With record sales numbers, the Intrepid Group saw 174% growth in sales across the three expos, which were held in Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver throughout the month of February.

For the first time, Intrepid Group included their 4-star programs with Peregrine Adventures; and their Under 40s trips with Geckos Adventures.

Ron Fenska, vice-president of sales for the Intrepid Group, said: “With three distinct adventure products, agents can find the perfect trip for all types of travellers. The addition of Peregrine and Geckos Adventures obviously helped reached a wider group of travellers and together with the company’s Intrepid Travel brand drove doubled sales.”

Peru, a perennial Intrepid favorite, was the top selling region in both Toronto and Calgary, while Italy proved most popular at the Vancouver show. As Flight Centre approaches peak booking time for Europe, destinations like Austria and Germany also saw a significant increase in sales, with the 15-day Best of Central Europe trip being a top seller.

Michael Friend, Flight Centre’s vice-president of product & wholesale, noted: “With record numbers of attendees and record sales at this year’s Expos presented by Flight Centre, it’s clear people want to travel more than ever and adventure is one of the fastest growing sectors in the industry. The Intrepid Group provides diverse programs that travellers are clearly very excited about.”
Photo Caption: Seen at the Flight Centre expo in Toronto are Leigh Barnes, marketing director and Michael Sadowski, PR & social media specialist.
Photo credit: Flight Centre Canada