The “Fan Voyage” trend is being fueled by several factors. First, post-pandemic travellers place a premium on health and wellness, preferring active vacations over passive sightseeing. Second, rising equipment rentals and sharing economies have made it cheaper to try new sports without committing to expensive gear. Third, social media has glorified participation — posting a video of yourself learning to curl or completing a challenging hike generates more engagement than a photo of a stadium scoreboard.
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Destinations are responding. Whistler, British Columbia, now markets itself not just as a ski destination but as a year-round adventure sports hub. Prince Edward Island promotes cycling tours along the Confederation Trail. Yellowknife offers guided snowshoeing and cross-country skiing under the northern lights.
For sports like curling, the boom is particularly welcome. Curling clubs across Canada have struggled with declining membership for years. Now, travel-driven interest is bringing new faces into the rinks.
“Last winter, we had a group from Toronto book a weekend at our club in rural Manitoba,” said a club manager. “None of them had ever curled before. Now, three of them have joined their local league back home.”
As the 2026 summer travel season approaches, the message is clear: Canadians are done watching from the sidelines. They want to play.
