How Race Across the World ignited Canada sales

For Destination Canada, Race Across the World has been an absolute gift. Maureen Riley, Destination Canada, vice-president, international, says: “We call it the Race Across the World Canada effect. Tour operators and travel agents told us they saw an uplift in booking requests or enquiries each day after the show was aired, for eight weeks. One Canadian specialist operator saw their website traffic increase by as much as 30% in the two hours immediately after the show. As the Barb stats reveal, the show reached approximately 4.5 million viewers weekly and our scenery and people certainly captured a starring role in this series, in their own right.”

She urges those agents who haven’t yet seen the series to watch it on iPlayer: “It’s a great training tool as it really showcases some of the lesser-known experiences alongside more iconic ones.” 

And for those agents who are not as familiar with Canada as a destination but are noticing a rise in enquiries, she suggests they fast track their knowledge by enrolling on the Canada specialist training programme, and checking out the TTG Destination Canada hub for regular updates on Canada news.

Across the board, operators have been capitalising off the success of the show. Canada is a firm favourite for Fred Holidays and currently selling really well, particularly from a tailor-made perspective. Laura Wilson, product and sales manager, says: “Canada is so beautiful and has so many unique experiences on offer that whenever it is showcased on television it always has a positive impact on demand and sales.”

Newmarket Holidays indicates that bookings have been clearly boosted by the series, reporting that Canada bookings were up by 2.5 times versus 2022 during the show’s eight-week run.

Richard Harrington, destination manager, remarks that the show was a brilliant platform for the warmth of the Canadian people: “The contestants couldn’t have successfully completed the race without the warm welcome and support of the Canadian people, which was the real story of the show. Canada is such a beautiful country and our customers have definitely got it on their wish lists.”

Audley Travel notes the show has been responsible for raising the profile of Canadian destinations that may not have been on customers’ radars before. James Butler, product manager for Canada, says: “We have seen a rise in enquiries off the back of Race Across the World for more off-the-beaten track destinations as well as traditional favourites as people have been able to see the variety of landscapes, activities and experiences available across the country.”

It’s a similar story for Canadian Affair, with head of marketing Nick Talbot commenting: “It’s safe to say Race Across the World proved a hit this year! It was great to see some of the less-well-known provinces have their chance to shine such as Manitoba, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador, which will hopefully inspire agents to explore itineraries featuring these destinations.”  

First Class Holidays devised a social media strategy around the show, sending out two weekly posts about the show, one a reminder to watch and the other a product relating to the episode.

Paula Martin, head of sales, says: ‘We had amazing feedback from travel agents and lots of them engaged with our social media, resharing our offers on their own channels. We saw a significant increase in enquiries based on what was shown in each episode. West Canada has always been the most popular destination for us, but we noticed a clear increase in enquiries for Atlantic Canada too.”

The Canada effect is likely to linger for a while, but agents should also keep an eye out for the next trending travel show. Laura Wilson adds: “It’s so worthwhile agents keeping tabs on those TV programmes that make a star of the destination because they always present opportunities to engage with customers.”