Travel & Lifestyle PR for Intrepid Travel: Making Responsible Travel a Mainstream Conversation
THE CHALLENGE
Intrepid had a distinctive product and a meaningful ambition: encourage travellers to move beyond conventional tourism and experience more of the world through locally led, small-group travel. Yet a strong sense of purpose alone could not overcome familiar perceptions of organized tours or make the brand stand out in a competitive lifestyle category.
Our task was to help audiences understand why this kind of travel matters to them: greater connection, less logistical friction, compelling destinations and richer experiences with the people who live there. At the same time, responsible tourism needed to be communicated with evidence and sensitivity, especially when stories involved Indigenous partners, local communities and environmental issues.
OUR STRATEGY
Lead with the experience, not the claim. Yulu used key voice interviews, competitive benchmarking and audience research to identify how Intrepid could own a more distinctive position in a crowded travel market. Rather than relying on broad claims about responsible travel, we looked for specific, relatable proof that locally guided small-group travel could be more meaningful, personal and rewarding.
Make the mission visible through people and places. We developed story opportunities grounded in authentic creator experiences, travel partners, culturally relevant moments and compelling destinations. Where Indigenous-led experiences were concerned, communications centred the partners’ authority and the integrity of the experience rather than treating their stories as a brand asset.
Connect inspiration with a timely reason to care. Yulu paired immersive lifestyle storytelling with data-led media narratives on overtourism, travel trends and alternative destinations, alongside executive commentary, commercial partnerships and advisor-facing outreach. The result was an integrated travel PR strategy designed to reach consumers, culture and business media, and the travel trade through different but complementary stories.
HOW WE BROUGHT THE PURPOSE TO LIFE
1. Make meaningful travel aspirational | #VacationDoneRight
North Americans have limited vacation time, but want to return from it with more than photographs. Yulu created #VacationDoneRight to show how thoughtful, locally led adventures could offer both a genuine break and a deeper connection to the world. Six creators documented trips to Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Peru, Japan and Botswana, sharing personal experiences of discovery, local culture and small-group travel.
Yulu developed the creative concept and influencer strategy, researched and selected aligned creators, built toolkits, coordinated contracts and travel logistics, supported content approvals and measured performance. The campaign delivered 324K+ reported impressions, 420K+ creator video views and 10K+ engagements, demonstrating how lifestyle influencer marketing could turn responsible travel into something audiences could imagine choosing for themselves.
3. Put local leadership at the heart of the experience | Talaysay Tours
Meaningful travel depends on the people who welcome visitors into their communities. Communications surrounding Intrepid’s partnership with Indigenous-led Talaysay Tours presented a chance to demonstrate that responsible tourism is about relationships, respect and learning, not just destinations.
Yulu supported partnership storytelling and a Whistler media and creator experience that brought five media representatives and four creators into direct contact with Talaysay’s experience. The intent was to create informed coverage in which the partner’s leadership, knowledge and ownership remained central. The program generated coverage across travel trade and lifestyle outlets, including NUVO. Detailed partnership and research claims remain subject to Intrepid and rightsholder review.
5. Connect purpose to culture and commerce | TIFF and travel partnerships
Building a lifestyle brand also means showing up where culture and customer choice meet. Yulu supported Intrepid’s Toronto International Film Festival activity, including an advisor-focused VIP experience and targeted journalist engagement, alongside communications surrounding its Air Canada Vacations partnership.
These stories brought the brand into travel-trade and cultural conversations, reinforcing that responsible adventure travel can be commercially relevant, accessible and appealing beyond a niche audience.
2. Challenge how people choose destinations | The Meaningful Travel Index
Responsible tourism becomes a more powerful consumer story when people can see how their own choices affect the places they visit. Yulu helped shape research on travel behavior into newsworthy stories about overtourism, destination discovery, AI-assisted trip planning and the continuing value of trusted travel advisors. The campaign encouraged audiences to question familiar hotspots and consider alternatives, translating an industry issue into practical travel inspiration.
Consumer and trade features helped Intrepid join a broader conversation about what makes travel worthwhile. July 2026 reporting recorded overall coverage up 82.8% year over year, with business and trade coverage up 135%. These are monthly publicity results, not a measure of changed traveler behavior.
4. Make the road less traveled newsworthy | The 2027 Not Hot List
Tourism campaigns often compete to promote the same popular places. Intrepid’s Not Hot List offered an alternative: make lesser-known destinations the exciting choice. Yulu supported a Toronto media dinner with 12 journalists to turn the list into a timely conversation about discovery, overtourism and where travelers might go next.
The campaign prompted national consumer and industry interest. A Postmedia feature was distributed across 45 network outlets, while the September 11 weekly recap recorded 57 editorial hits, including 12 unique stories. This is a campaign-specific tally and overlaps with the overall September coverage total.
6. Sustain the conversation | Executive and destination storytelling
A single campaign can create attention; sustained public relations gives a brand reasons to remain relevant. Yulu connected Intrepid’s leadership, destinations and initiatives to changing travel conversations through proactive media pitching and an ongoing press office. Stories included perspectives from CEO James Thornton on destination choices, trade commentary from Christian Wolters, new itinerary launches, travel-industry partnerships and purpose-led initiatives.
Together, these efforts demonstrated an integrated communications approach that could move between consumer inspiration, business credibility, partnerships and community impact without losing the brand’s central promise.
SERVICES PROVIDED
- Travel and lifestyle public relations and strategic positioning
- Influencer strategy, creator research, partnerships and campaign management
- Consumer, business and travel-trade media relations
- Audience research, key voice interviews and competitive benchmarking
- Brand narrative and responsible tourism communications
- Data-led PR, survey storytelling and destination campaigns
- Executive thought leadership, interview preparation and press office
- Experiential PR, media and creator hosting
- Product launches, partnerships, cultural and industry events
- Content briefing, creative coordination and earned media reporting
RESULTS & IMPACT
→ Creator Impressions: 324K+ impressions generated through the #VacationDoneRight influencer campaign.
→ Creator Video Views: 420K+ views of creator content from #VacationDoneRight.
→ Creator Engagements: 10K+ engagements generated by #VacationDoneRight content.
→ July Media Visibility: +82.8% year-over-year coverage in July 2026, including +135% growth in business and trade coverage.
→ August Media Coverage: 123 coverage articles in August 2026, up 262% year over year.
→ September Media Coverage: 163 coverage articles in September 2026, up 27% year over year.
→ Media Engagement: 12 journalists attended the 2027 Not Hot List media dinner.
→ Not Hot List Coverage: 57 editorial hits, including 12 unique stories, reported as of September 11, 2026.
Together, the work helped make responsible travel more tangible, desirable and newsworthy, connecting Intrepid’s purpose to real experiences, compelling destinations, cultural conversations and trusted voices. Coverage and creator results show increased visibility; changes in booking behavior require separate attribution evidence.
SELECTED CAMPAIGNS, MEDIA COVERAGE & CREATOR CONTENT
Canadian Living
How to Travel Europe Without the Crowds
Travel Market Report
PAX News
Intrepid Partners with Talaysay Tours
NUVO
We Are the Land, Talaysay Tours
Canada.com / Postmedia
Open Jaw
Intrepid x TIFF VIP Experience
Travel Market Report
Intrepid and Air Canada Vacations Partnership
TravelPulse Canada
Air Canada Vacations and Intrepid Partner
Vicki Duong
Intrepid x Talaysay Whistler Creator Content (paid)
Marika Sila
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What does a travel PR agency do for a lifestyle brand?
A travel PR agency helps turn destinations, products, partnerships and brand values into stories audiences want to read and share. For Intrepid Travel, Yulu combined consumer media relations, research-led campaigns, creator partnerships, executive storytelling and experiential PR to make responsible travel more compelling.
How did Yulu use influencers to promote Intrepid Travel?
Through #VacationDoneRight, Yulu developed the creative concept and managed six travel and lifestyle creators documenting Intrepid trips across six countries. The campaign reported more than 324,000 impressions, 420,000 video views and 10,000 engagements.
How did Yulu make responsible tourism relevant to mainstream media?
Yulu connected Intrepid’s purpose to timely consumer interests, including avoiding overtourism, exploring lesser-known destinations and discovering Indigenous-led experiences. The Meaningful Travel Index, Not Hot List and Talaysay Tours storytelling gave journalists tangible, audience-focused angles.
Can Yulu support both influencer marketing and ongoing public relations?
Yes. The Intrepid work brings together creator strategy, earned media, hosted experiences, executive visibility, partnerships and travel-trade communications. These disciplines can support distinct campaigns or a coordinated ongoing program.
Looking for a Travel, Hospitality or Lifestyle PR Partner?
Whether you’re launching a consumer brand, building media visibility, planning an influencer campaign or seeking an integrated PR agency-of-record partner, Yulu combines research, creative storytelling, earned media, creators and strategic communications to help your brand become more relevant to the people you want to reach.
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Email hello@yulupr.com or call +1 604-558-1656.