Inspiring places for impactful travel

Purposeful travel is more than a trend – it’s a movement shaped by the people who call these places home. Across the country, Indigenous hosts, local communities and conservation leaders are inviting travellers to step into experiences that regenerate nature, protect culture and strengthen the communities that sustain them. From forest walks guided by knowledge keepers to off-grid stays that support local makers and land stewards, these journeys show how tourism can be a powerful force for good – and how visitors can play a meaningful part in it. For travellers seeking a deeper sense of connection, Canada offers countless ways to experience the world differently, and leave it better than you found it. 

Return to connection

Just twenty minutes from Québec City, the Huron-Wendat Nation invites visitors into Wendake – a living community where culture, food and storytelling work together to keep traditions thriving. Here, tourism directly supports the Nation’s efforts to protect language, land and heritage, while giving travellers a meaningful way to learn and connect.

At the heart of Wendake is the Musée Huron-Wendat, where guides share history, craft and cultural practices passed down through generations. I join a guided walk that takes me inside a traditional longhouse where I can see firsthand how families once cooked, slept and gathered around the central fire. In the workshop space, artisans demonstrate porcupine quillwork, bark scraping, bead-and-leather craft. Nearby, Hôtel-Musée Premières Nations blends modern comfort with Indigenous design, sitting beside a traditional longhouse where fireside stories and teachings are shared.

After dark, I follow the forested Onhwa’ Lumina (onhwalumina.ca) trail, passing through video projections, light installations, and Wendat voices and drumbeats in the air. All created in collaboration with the community, one minute everything is still except for the crunch of snow underfoot; the next, colours pulse across the trunks as animals and symbols ripple along the path. It’s a sensory experience rooted in Wendat mythology and respect for the land.

Food here is also an act of cultural preservation. At La Traite, chefs pair locally sourced game, fish and foraged ingredients with centuries-old culinary knowledge. Every meal becomes a chance to taste the stories of the territory and support the economic growth of the Nation.

For mindful travellers, Wendake offers a rare opportunity: an immersive, Indigenous-led journey where every experience directly benefits the people who make it possible.

Walk through a forest in renewal 

In Alberta’s Jasper National Park, the impact of the 2024 wildfires is still visible – but so is the resilience of both the land and its people. Travellers are discovering that spending time here not only supports regeneration of the ecosystem but also contributes to the recovery of the local community, for whom tourism is a lifeline.

The Winter Wildlife and Ecology of Fire walk with SunDog Tours is a moving introduction to how nature heals. Along the trail, young pines push through the snow, elk weave silently between charred trunks, and sunlight reaches parts of the forest floor that haven’t seen warmth in years. Guides share how fire releases seeds, restores balance and ultimately supports biodiversity – a reminder that renewal is woven into the natural rhythms of this region.

Local experiences are also evolving with purpose. With Warrior Women (warriorwomen.ca), I join a medicine walk where our guide stops to show us plants used for healing. Later, a drumming circle settles our group into the same slow rhythm. By the fire, stories shift to matriarchs, language, and how the community is rebuilding piece by piece after the wildfires. Engaging in these experiences directly supports the knowledge keepers who anchor this place, and strengthens the community’s recovery.

For travellers, Jasper becomes a powerful example of how tourism can uplift – helping ecosystems recover, helping communities stabilise and strengthening connections to the land in ways that stay with you long after you leave.

Published: 12 December 2025