TTC Tour Brands Goes In Depth In North America In 2024

TTC Tour Brands is rolling out a new itinerary from Insight Vacations for 2024 plus new MAKE TRAVEL MATTER Experiences, focused on culinary and active adventures across Canada and the United States.

With the new additions, TTC Tour Brands; Trafalgar, Insight Vacations, Costsaver and Luxury Gold zero in on more local focused experiences and now have at least one MAKE TRAVEL MATTER Experience across 100% of their North American itineraries.

Melissa DaSilva, President of TTC Tour Brands, North America, said: “We’re thrilled to be able to provide more experiences for our guests that work to protect the planet, its people and wildlife. Our MAKE TRAVEL MATTER Experiences dive deeper into a destination and its community through first-hand interactions with Indigenous peoples, workshops on repairing local ecosystems and tours that support local businesses; all of which ensure travellers return home with a new perspective.”

And DaSilva added: “With these new experiences, advisors can demonstrate to their clients the ways in which TTC Tour Brands is constantly updating their itineraries to meet guests’ needs and interests.”

Insight Vacations is introducing a new itinerary and several iconic experiences and memorable accommodations for 2024.

Highlights include:

• Yellowstone Discovery explores Montana’s Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks over the course of seven days. Guests on this itinerary will stay centrally located within the park at the Yellowstone National Park Lodge and will meet with local artist John Potter for a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER Experience where they’ll learn about the natural world and wildlife of Yellowstone through Potter’s work and the traditions of his Anishinaabe (Ojibwe/Chippewa) ancestors. In Grand Teton, guests will visit the National Museum of Wildlife Art for a lunch made from seasonal, locally sourced ingredients.
• On the Wonders of the American West, travellers will get the chance to participate in two newly added MAKE TRAVEL MATTER Experiences. First, travellers will venture deep into the backcountry of Monument Valley with a local Navajo guide to Mystery Valley where they’ll witness the relatively unknown Anasazi Ruins and rock art and learn about the culture and traditions of the Diné (traditional name for the Navajo people). And at the Grand Canyon, travellers will visit Desert Viewpoint Intertribal Cultural Heritage Site and meet with members of Indigenous groups whose roots are based in the region to learn about their stories, family histories, traditions and more. At Desert View, guests will get the best view of the Grand Canyon from the watchtower, inspired by ancient Native American watchtowers and decorated with murals from Hopi artists.
• On Insight Vacations’ Spectacular Rockies and Glaciers of Alberta itinerary, travellers now have the opportunity to stay at the Glacier View Lodge, Canada’s first and only glacier-view resort, located along Icefields Parkway for spectacular views of the mountains in Jasper National Park. Guests will also enjoy a before-hours Athabasca glacier tour where they’ll travel on the glacier with a local expert on a specifically designed Ice Explorer vehicle.
• On Hawaii with Oahu & Maui, travellers will visit the Hawaiian Legacy Forest in Oahu for a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER Experience. Travellers will join an eco-tour with a local expert to plant a native tree contributing to the healing of the local ecosystem where almost 60% of the native flora and fauna are considered endangered.

As for Trafalgar, it’s introducing new MAKE TRAVEL MATTER and Be My Guest Experiences for 2024:

• After a four-year hiatus, Trafalgar is bringing back an original trip, the 24-day Western Discoverer which travels through California, Nevada and Arizona. A new addition to the trip is a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience where guests will embark on a Black Foodie walking tour through Oakland, California. On this tour, travellers will discover the diverse tastes and infused foods of African American and Caribbean fusion cuisines from local, black-owned restaurants in downtown and Old Oakland.
• On Canada’s Rockies, travellers will meet with local expert, Brenda Holder, a Cree/Iroquois Knowledge Keeper. During the Buffalo Fat of the Land Storytelling Experience, Holder will teach guests about the importance of the buffalo to Cree culture and the connection they hold with the animal. Guests will enjoy tea and rich stories and history while engaging with their Cree guide.
• On Trafalgar’s Autumn Colors, guests will get to enjoy a new Be My Guest experience with Green Mountain Girls. At the farm, travellers will learn about regenerative, sustainable, agricultural methods and the importance of seasonality in food production. Guests will indulge in a farm-to-table meal with locally sourced and organically grown food from the farm and their climate-conscious farming partners.

Luxury Gold is adding new MAKE TRAVEL MATTER Experiences and stays to its 2024 journeys including:

• On Luxury Gold’s Majesty of the Rockies, travellers will dine at Salmon N’ Bannock, the only Indigenous-owned and operated restaurant in Vancouver. The menu includes traditional and authentic Indigenous foods created by Nuxalk Nation member Inez Cook. As the founder and owner of Salmon N’ Bannock, and the author of children’s book, ”The Sixties Scoop”, Inez Cook is an incredible educator and an advocate for Indigenous people in Canada and travellers will learn her remarkable and moving story about being one of the children of the Sixties Scoop. Travelers on this itinerary now also stay at the picturesque Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise deep within Banff National Park.

Costsaver is introducing a new MAKE TRAVEL MATTER Experience and outdoor adventure activities for 2024:

• On Spectacular Canyons & National Parks, travellers will visit Farmstead Cider in Jackson Hole, Wyoming for a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER Experience that works to protect the bears and wildlife of Jackson and the Grand Teton regions. Travellers will get the chance to taste cider made from locally grown apples that would otherwise attract bears to human communities and turns them into cider.
• Travellers on Costsaver’s Essence of Eastern Canada can choose to step outside of their comfort zone in Ottawa by speeding down a 1400-foot zipline between the provinces of Quebec and Ontario for 360 views of the city’s landmarks and landscapes.

All trips are currently available for 2024 bookings and for more, go to www.TTC.com .

All photos courtesy TTC Tour Brands