Some trips shift your sense of scale. Some rewrite your inner geography entirely. And some, without warning, reach in and rearrange what you thought you knew about a place. Destination Canada’s 2025/26 Radical Ambassadors set out to explore British Columbia and the Northwest Territories. What they found was a Canada that felt better than the famous bits. It was wilder, people were warmer. It was Canada, naturally.
They laughed with locals, listened to stories carried across time, and stood under northern skies that moved in ways no photograph can fully hold. By the end, the Canada they discovered had become the Canada they would tell, a place that settled in, left its mark, and refused to fade.
What happens on famil…
Destination Canada’s 2025/26 Radical Ambassadors travelled through a lesser-known (but no less worthy) side of British Columbia: its valleys and vineyards. From here, they went north into the Northwest Territories, where endless skies and aurora-lit nights reshaped the way they understood space and light.
Along the way, they met people whose stories cut straight through the usual famil script: orchard owners who welcomed them without question, guides who wove culture and memory into every step, and communities that didn’t simply open a door but invited them in.
“Meeting Greg from Moccasin Trails in Kelowna was that moment for me,” says Angela Hill from Gallivanter Travel.
“His story, his presence, and the way he shared the cultural connections between First Nations in Canada and Indigenous cultures in Australia struck a deep chord. It felt like a turning point.
“From that moment on, everything looked and felt different: the colours were brighter, the experiences richer, and the conversations more meaningful. That emotional shift completely changed the way I saw the rest of the trip.”
British Columbia: Valleys, vineyards and voices that stay with you
In Penticton, Kelowna and Vernon, autumn revealed itself slowly through shifting orchards, warm light over lake towns and conversations that invited the group to listen more closely than they expected.
They wandered the Kettle Valley Rail Trail and stepped through orchards at Paynter’s and Davison’s, meeting families who had worked the land for generations. They tasted the region through sparkling houses and vineyards, hearing stories expressed in craft rather than words. Emily Noble from Helloworld said she expected mountains and lakes, yet she was surprised by how diverse the regions felt and how proud the locals were to share them.
“And autumn in Canada is absolutely magical,” she says.
“The four colours transform every landscape into something out of a painting: golden leaves, crisp air and quieter tourist spots.”
“It’s a great time for clients who love photography, nature, and a more relaxed pace of travel. The shoulder season also means better availability, fewer crowds, and a more authentic connection to local life before the winter rush begins.”
For more information on British Columbia, visit supernaturalbc.com.
Northwest Territories: Where the sky speaks
The Northwest Territories opened a different chapter. Yellowknife in early autumn carried crisp air, wide landscapes and nights that felt expansive.
“Watching the Aurora dance was breathtaking,” says Georgia Bantoft from All About Travel Tweed / Go See Touring.
“It put into perspective just how beautiful life is and made me feel so small, like you’re a part of something bigger than yourself. It takes a magical place to make you feel that way, and I felt that throughout my time in Canada.”
Three nights in Yellowknife mattered because they created time to wait, hope and witness. They also created space to hear stories held in the land and its communities.
“The Canadian landscapes are a real beauty however the local people are the real gems,” says Teagan Gunter from from Travel Beyond Group.
“Joe from North Star Adventure in Yellowknife was an absolute character. He had us in fits of laughter throughout the entire night.”
For more information on Northwest Territories, visit: spectacularnwt.com.
How this trip changed how they sell Canada
Each ambassador walked away with a lesson that revealed something deeper about Canada and about how they guide their clients.
Angela Hill from Gallivanter Travel found her entire approach to selling Canada shifting.
“I would sell it more deeply,” she says.
“I’d focus less on ticking off the highlights and more on the emotional connection people can have with Canada. I’ll be talking to clients about slow travel, choosing one region and really letting it soak in. It’s not a destination. It’s a feeling.”
For Georgia Bantoft from All About Travel Tweed, the revelation came from realising that travellers often overlook the places that stay with them the longest.
“The real underdogs of Canada are the smaller regions; don’t discount them. The true highlights are the hidden gems tucked away in smaller areas. You encounter Canada in its natural, genuine form.”
Teagan Gunter from Travel Beyond Group saw how culture shaped every moment.
“I will promote the regions we went to by sharing my own personal experiences with a deeper appreciation for their unique blend of cultural diversity.
“The indigenous tourism is captivating, and the experiences my clients can participate in are incredibly unique.”
Something more…permanent
We hear countless stories about travel agent famils. None of them end up with a queue outside a tattoo studio. This one did. Destination Canada’s 2025/26 Radical Ambassadors travelled through British Columbia and the Northwest Territories, finding a country that, quite literally (and permanently) got under their skin.
“I think the tattoos were my idea,” admits Teagan. “But everyone was on board!”
The group were finishing up dinner in Kelowna, a lakeside city lined with vineyard estates and celebrity homes.
Teagan admired the tattoos of a waiter who recommended Don’t Look Down Tattoo Kelowna.
“I reached out to the tattoo studio the following day, who were kind enough to open after hours for us, and the rest is history!”
What surprised Destination Canada‘s 2025/26 Radical Ambassadors wasn’t just the landscapes. It was the depth. The warmth. The way every region they visited carried its own voice, its own pace, its own way of welcoming.
“I think that everyone should visit Canada for the serenity, the nature, the history, the wide open spaces and the small spaces between you and the locals,” says Ella Uebergang from Windsong Travel.
“I love sharing what I love and I love Canada. So for me, being a radical ambassador means to take you on my journey of why I fell in love and why you can too.”
By the time they reached Yellowknife, the group who had met as strangers felt more like a makeshift family. Travel can do that. It can compress time, intensify connection, turn shared experiences into something that feels both intimate and permanent. In the Northwest Territories, where silence has shape and stories sit in the land itself, the group realised they weren’t just travellers passing through. They were part of something.
It’s a feeling they didn’t want to fade. So they found a way to make sure it never did.
“We really just wanted to commemorate such a cool experience,” says Georgia Bantoft.
“Within the first two days of the trip, we got along like a house on fire and we were all so in love with Canada.
“Simply put; it felt right. I always said I wanted my first tattoo to be meaningful and memorable and what better way to do that than with people I met two days earlier! Definitely safe to say that Canada left a mark on me…literally.”
Some people wear their heart on their sleeve. These six Aussie travel agents carry Canada beneath their skin, a mark that has stayed long after the journey ended.
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