by Jen Mallia
Last updated: 8:40 PM ET, Thu January 29, 2026
The 2026 IMPACT Sustainability Travel & Tourism Conference concluded Wednesday (Jan. 28, 2026) afternoon in Victoria, B.C.
The four-day event featured keynote speakers, workshops, and networking events designed to help delegates develop strategies around creating and maintaining tourism offerings that serve as a force for good. The panel discussions were a particular favourite, often erupting in laughter as panelists and moderators went off-script to “cut through the B.S.”
The conference kicked off with a Day of Impact: a wildlife-watching tour accompanied by members of the local Songhees Nation from Songhees Tours to guide us through historic and contemporary stories and landscapes.
After that was an introduction to a small agro-tourism business at Violet Grove Farms with the best kind of introduction: fresh apple pie.
An afternoon of food and presentations from local growers and producers capped off the day at the Brentwood Bay Resort.
The Day of Impact featured a wildlife viewing tour with Eagle Wing and Prince of Whales (Photo Credit: Eagle Wing Whale Watching)
Delegates got to business the next day with a sobering “reality check” keynote address from Bob Sanford, Senior Government Relations Liaison, Global Climate Emergency Response at the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health. He laid out the realities our world is facing, with flagging support for global environmental initiatives and a heartbreaking geopolitical situation. He challenged each of us to answer a question from the future, “What did you do when you knew?”
From there, the program included sessions ranging from food security, Indigenous perspectives, transportation, AI, DMO partnerships, and more. The conference aims to encourage a shift in the way industry professionals think, lead and act in the travel and tourism space, inspiring us to utilize our business models and influence as a force for good.
Intrepid Travel was a major sponsor of the event, and used the platform to announce a major investment in Indigenous tourism in Canada, partnering with the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada.
Keith Henry, President and CEO of ITAC and Leigh Barnes, President, Americas, Intrepid Travel share the stage at IMPACT (Photo Credit: Jen Mallia/TravelPulse Canada)
Related: ITAC and Intrepid Travel Announce New Partnership
Some of the key takeaways from the conference included the direction to avoid “performative hope,” and advocate for meaningful change. “We cannot build premium brands on discounted ethics,” the group was told, later offering the idea that rather than pricing people out of regenerative tourism experiences, tour suppliers can look at creative solutions, such as offering shorter, less expensive versions of pricier tours.
The concluding fireside chat (which we were warned may be renamed “Hot-tub Chat” next year after the floating hot-tub in the Inner Harbour) featured equal parts guidance and inspiration from Mikey Sadowski, VP Communications at Intrepid and Captain Brett Soberg, Co-Owner of Eagle Wing Tours. Insights like “The first through the wall always get bloody,” regarding being the first to try something new, and the importance of holding open the doors you have broken down for the people who come next. I’ll also carry with me “You can do anything, not everything.” Find where you can have an outsized impact and go all in.
The conference ended with a group discussion called Unite. Commit. Act. Attendees from last year’s conference shared updates on the plans they had made based on what they learned, and new ideas were shared and committed to based on this year.
The next IMPACT Conference will be the inaugural Atlantic Summit, in St. John’s Nfld in November. The Victoria Summit will return in 2027, the last week of January.
For a complete list of speakers and information on how to register for future events, please visit impactnational.ca
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