Get one-on-one coaching or support to attend a marketplace through the EXPORT Travel Trade Program and take the next steps to build your sales partnerships that will help attract national and international travellers. 

Read the guidelines and apply now!. 

The program offers support through two streams: 

Travel Trade Readiness 

Through the Travel Trade Readiness stream, you will collaborate with a coach with extensive experience in travel trade to implement best practices for working with travel trade, build your sales strategy, and then get to work building partnerships with tour operators and travel agents to attract more national and international customers. 

Apply Online
Deadline: June 30, 2025 at 4:00 p.m.
 

Marketplace Support

Through the Marketplace Support stream, you can receive up to $5,000 toward the cost of registering for an eligible travel trade marketplace.

Apply Online
Deadline: The program will remain open until fully subscribed or March 31, 2026.

What is travel trade?
Travel trade is the network of travel and tourism services that includes tour operators, travel agents and online travel agents. Working with travel trade helps get information about your business to more travellers and opens new sales opportunities. It’s also a great way to help showcase the broad range of experiences Nova Scotia has to offer, generating awareness and interest in the province.

Why participate?
Travel agents and tour operators can be a partner in marketing your business. Being included in their packages and product catalogues gives you access to their client network, raising awareness of your business and extending your marketing reach. 

It also helps you build repeat business, giving you more predictability in your sales. Our research also shows travellers from the United Kingdom and Germany tend to book their travel to Canada through tour operators and travel agents, making these partnerships a great way to attract travellers from those markets.

“It's important to be physically present at these shows as a way of bringing new business to the area as well as maintain current relationships. Show attendance is two-fold: one solicits new business but also maintains good relations with our existing partners.” – Joan Luiken, Atlantic Tours and Travel

Who can participate?
The EXPORT Travel Trade program Travel Trade Readiness stream is open to tourism businesses that have been in operation for at least one year and have taken part in the Atlantic Travel Trade Readiness Program or have some experience working with the travel trade. The EXPORT Travel Trade program Marketplace Support stream is open to tourism businesses that have been doing business with travel trade partners such as receptive tour operators, wholesalers, motorcoach companies, etc., for a minimum of two years or have successfully completed the EXPORT Travel Trade Readiness Program and have secured contracts with travel trade partners.
 
For more information, please contact Natalie Shaw, Market Development Coordinator, at natalie.shaw@novascotia.ca.