ICELAND, MOROCCO TOP SUMMER FAVES AT INTREPID
Iceland and Morocco are proving to be top favourites for Canadians this summer, according to Intrepid Travel. The former boast three tours in the small group tour operator’s top 10 for 2023, while the North African nation ranked twice.
“It’s clear from the list that Europe is dominating but it’s Iceland that most Canadians are heading to,” says Intrepid. And that includes the top two spots.
Morocco also continues to be a popular choice, offering up an mix of traditional culture, diverse flavours, beaches and more.
Here are the top 10 trips Canadians have booked for with Intrepid for the summer:
1. Iceland Discovery
2. Iceland Express
3. Best of Galapagos
4. Morocco Uncovered
5. Highlights of Italy
6. Best of Morocco
7. Highlights of Scotland
8. Croatian Cruising (Split to Dubrovnik)
9. Premium Iceland
10.Scotland’s Orkney Islands
“If travellers didn’t take that revenge trip in 2022, they’re certainly not hesitating this summer,” said Matt Berna, President and Managing Director, the Americas. “We’re also seeing more travellers book last minute at the risk of missing out on an adventure during an exciting summer for travel.”
Morocco
Meanwhile, Intrepid says its Morocco tours have seen significant growth since the pandemic and the country is now one of its top-selling destinations globally. To that end, the tour company has signed a three-year partnership with the Moroccan National Tourism Office to expand the potential of tourism in the country with the aim of increasing the number of visitors in the country to 50,000 each year by 2026.
With 73 local team members based in Intrepid’s Marrakech office and over 2,000 departures in the country per year, Intrepid is one of the leading tour operators to the country.
In 2024, Intrepid will also offer four new trips, including a rare venture through Morocco’s “best kept secret,” the Happy Valley, or Ait Bougmez region of the High Atlas Mountains. Traversing the country’s third-largest peak by foot, travellers on new eight-day “Trekking in Morocco Happy Valley in High Atlas” tour will explore cascading waterfalls, ancient ruins and lush vegetation, stopping for homecooked meals in rural villages while learning about the rich history of the Amazigh people, the community that inspired the name “Happy Valley.”
Other new trips include the eight-day “Classic Morocco” and “One Week in Morocco: Sahara & Atlas Mountains” and five-day “Mt Toubkal Long Weekend,” the latter enabling guest to clime the highest summit in North Africa.
Other new experiences include a M’goun Valley Henna Ceremony on Intrepid’s Morocco Uncovered trip, where travellers will learn about the history and significance of henna tattoos and receive their own designs from Naquasha women; and a Taman’Art Space visit on Intrepid’s Premium Morocco tour with a local artist on a terrace overlooking the mountains.
First published at Travel Industry Today
