These women-led companies have elevated the travel industry to new heights.
The spirit of adventure is thriving in Canada and its champions are intrepid, passionate women. From tours in tiny coastal hamlets to canoeing, kayaking and hiking in the nation’s wild spaces and beyond, these 10 women-led travel companies are leading the way to more inclusive and accessible outdoor adventures.
Colour the Trails
Founder Judy Kasiama created Colour the Trails, a Black women-owned business, to increase access to the outdoors for Black people, Indigenous people, people of colour and the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. “We won't close the adventure gap by sitting and waiting for the world to change,” she notes in a social media post. Through the creation of affordable, active adventures like introductions to ice climbing in winter and mountain biking in summer, Colour the Trails builds awareness and accessible opportunities for participation in the Great Outdoors.
Colour the Trails
Indigenous Women Outdoors
Indigenous Women Outdoors (IWO) is a non-profit organization based in the Sea to Sky corridor working on the traditional territories of the Sk̲ wx̲ wú7mesh and Lil̓ wat7úl. Founders Myia Antone and Sandy Ward ignite a spirit of empowerment among Indigenous women by providing them with learning opportunities and a chance to explore outdoor recreation activities. Through IWO workshops, participants can learn backcountry ski and riding skills, snow safety and obtain certification in Avalanche Skills Training. IWO's mission is to “break barriers and redefine what's possible through outdoor adventures, fostering belonging, respect, and empowerment” in its communities.
Indigenous Women Outdoors
Talasay Tours
Sharing the Indigenous culture of her Shíshálh (Sechelt) and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) Nation ancestors, Candace Campo founded Talaysay Tours in 2002 to help connect guests to nature and self. At various locations in coastal British Columbia, including Stanley Park in Vancouver, Campo and her team lead walking tours like Talking Trees and Talking Totems, intended as educational and inspirational land-based learning experiences about the living culture of First Nations and Coast Salish history, lore and legend.
Claudia Laroye
Wild Women Expeditions
One of the pioneering women-led adventure travel companies for more than 30 years, Newfoundland and Labrador-based Wild Women Expeditions operates amazing outdoor adventures on every continent in the world. Owner Jennifer Haddow notes that in their 33 years of running Wild Women Expeditions across Canada and around the world, they’ve discovered that “there's something special that emerges when women gather in wild places and are encouraged to be the leaders in an outdoor adventure.” From Arctic Canada to Chile, New Zealand, Antarctica and beyond, WWE is fueling the movement of women who aren't waiting to take up their space in the outdoors.
Helen Conlon
Mosaic Earth Travel
Based in Squamish, British Columbia, Mosaic Earth Travel is a small group tour company specializing in remote and rural destinations in BC and the Yukon. Founder Pam McGarel started the company in 2020 and wanted to bring travellers away from the busy hubs in Western Canada to connect more deeply with the natural environment and Indigenous cultures. Mosaic Earth Travel designs custom-guided and self-guided small group hiking, kayaking and wildlife viewing tours for adventurous travellers on northern Vancouver Island, the Cariboo Chilcotin and the Sunshine Coast.
Mosaic Earth Travel
Moratorium Tours
Founded by entrepreneur Toni Kearney, a self-described ‘child of the (1990s cod fish) moratorium,’ Moratorium Tours & Retreats is a social enterprise and adventure travel business based in the tiny village of Conche on the northern peninsula of Newfoundland and Labrador. Through her company’s hiking tours, community engagement and cultural experiences, Kearney tells the story of her home and “shares the magic of Conche with the rest of the world.”
Moratorium Tours
Animal Experience International
Founded by Dr. Heather Reid and Nora Livingstone and based in Ontario, Animal Experience International (AEI) is a B Corporation with a mission to help animals around the globe by matching clients with safe, ethical and authentic animal-related volunteer opportunities at sanctuaries, hospitals and research projects around the world. For clients seeking animal-related experiences as volunteers, Reid and Livingstone plan adventurous vacations with purpose for clients who want to make a difference.
Animal Experience International
Divine Destination Collection
This Toronto-based travel company promises adventures of spiritual enlightenment. Founded by Deb Niven and Allison Frame, Divine Destination Collection offers a curated selection of life-changing, small-group travel adventures. These luxurious and comfortable trips immerse guests in the magic that comes from uncommon encounters with local culture and people. Each journey, whether walking the Camino in Spain or on retreat in Quebec, includes adventure activities and luxurious dining and accommodation.
Divine Destination Collection
Finisterra Travel
Vancouver, British Columbia-based Finisterra Travel is co-owned by accomplished travel designers Keri Montgomery and Nicola Wilson. They founded Finisterra to share their passion for travel and expertise with like-minded travellers, and through their extensive network of global partners, from knowledgeable guides to specialty tour operators to unique family-owned properties, they craft customized adventures across Canada and around the world. Their travel superpower is a first-hand knowledge of destinations and strong global connections.
Finisterra Travel
Karibu Adventures
In founding Karibu Adventures in 2021, Andrea Mandel-Campbell exchanged the corporate jungle of Toronto for the wild spaces of northern Ontario and British Columbia. Guests on Karibu Adventures can choose from fly-in canoe trips in the Canadian Shield or sea kayaking and Indigenous cultural adventures on Vancouver Island’s Northeast Coast. 
Karibu Adventures
Mandel-Campbell’s travel philosophy is one of active adventure and “to contribute to protecting the pristine and unique nature of the places we visit, and the cultures and communities with whom we engage.”