redtag.ca
Redtag.ca is a Canadian online travel agency founded in 2004 and operated by H.I.S Canada Travel Inc., a subsidiary of Japan's H.I.S. Group. It sells flights, vacation packages, cruises, hotels, and car rentals to Canadian leisure travelers via a website supported by 150+ contact-centre agents.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersMississauga, Canada
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What redtag.ca does
Redtag.ca is a Canadian online travel agency founded in 2004 and operated by H.I.S Canada Travel Inc., a subsidiary of the Japanese travel conglomerate H.I.S. Group. The company functions as a direct-to-consumer booking platform combining a self-serve e-commerce website with a contact centre staffed by 150+ travel professionals operating extended hours across Canadian time zones. Its core offerings include airline tickets, vacation packages, cruises, hotels, car rentals, last-minute deals, and all-inclusive resorts, with a growing portfolio of specialty travel sub-brands covering group travel, ski vacations, long-stay curated trips, and experiences. The technology stack relies on industry-standard Global Distribution Systems (Sabre, Amadeus, Galileo) and live connections to tour operators, airlines, cruise lines, and consolidators, supported by proprietary tools such as a Lowest Price Calendar, Live Pricing System, Beat My Quote service, and a TripBook management portal.
The business model is predominantly commission- and fee-based, earning transaction revenue from vacation packages, flights, cruises, hotels, and car rentals, supplemented by professional service fees ranging from $25 to $75 CAD per person depending on booking type, plus modification and cancellation fees of $25 to $300 per person. Ancillary revenue streams include travel insurance through Manulife, airport parking via Park'N Fly, lounge access through Plaza Premium, eSIM data plans via Celitech, Blue Rewards loyalty points on cruises, and Flex Pay buy-now-pay-later financing through Uplift Canada at 14.99%-34.99% APR. Redtag.ca serves primarily individual Canadian leisure travelers across six major gateway cities, with secondary segments in group bookings (weddings, sports, family reunions of 8+ passengers), specialty/niche travelers, and a newly launched corporate M.I.C.E. division targeting meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions programs.
The company is licensed by TICO in Ontario, regulated by OPC in Quebec, BBB accredited, and PIPEDA compliant, with client travel funds protected by provincial compensation funds. As a wholly-owned subsidiary of H.I.S. Group, redtag.ca benefits from the parent's global buying power and supplier relationships, giving it access to negotiated international rates and competitive Canadian-dollar pricing that independent Canadian OTAs cannot easily match. Distribution occurs through six channels: the redtag.ca website, a phone contact centre, the M.I.C.E. division for corporate clients, group bookings, and the Blue Rewards cruise platform.
redtag.ca firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- redtag.ca
- Legal name
- H.I.S Canada Travel Inc.
- Website
- https://redtag.ca
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Redtag.ca is a Canadian online travel agency founded in 2004 and operated by H.I.S Canada Travel Inc., a subsidiary of Japan's H.I.S. Group. It sells flights, vacation packages, cruises, hotels, and car rentals to Canadian leisure travelers via a website supported by 150+ contact-centre agents.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
redtag.ca industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Travel Agency
- NAICS
- Travel Agencies (561510), Tour Operators (56152)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Leisure & Generalist Retail Travel Agencies (THAKABAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Adventure & Active Travel Agencies (THAKABAD), Meetings & Group Travel Management (Corporate/MICE) (THALANAH)
Keywords
Where redtag.ca is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Mississauga
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
redtag.ca business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Vacation Package Sales: Commission-based revenue from selling vacation packages including flights, hotels, and all-inclusive resort bookings through partnered tour operators
- Flight Bookings: Revenue from air-only bookings with associated professional service fees
- Cruise Bookings: Revenue from cruise-only and cruise package bookings with professional service fees
- Hotel and Car Rental: Revenue from hotel-only and car rental bookings with associated service fees
- Professional Service Fees: Service fees ranging from $25-$75 per person depending on booking type; modification/cancellation fees from $25-$300 per person
- Add-on Services: Revenue from travel insurance, airport parking, eSIM cards, lounge access, and other travel perks
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Vacation packages starting from $999 or less |
| Transaction based/ take rate | One time/ perpetual license | Professional service fees by booking type |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Monthly | Flex Pay financing through Uplift Canada |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
redtag.ca product offering
Product offeringCore offering
redtag.ca is a Canadian online travel agency selling airline tickets, vacation packages, cruises, hotel stays, and car rentals directly to consumers through its website and phone contact centre. The company operates specialty travel divisions (Groups, Ski, Exotik & Adventures, Experiences, and M.I.C.E.) and distributes tour-operator brands such as Sunwing, WestJet Vacations, Air Canada Vacations, and Transat. Bookings are fulfilled via GDS platforms (Sabre, Amadeus, Galileo) backed by 150+ in-house travel professionals and licensed under TICO (Ontario) and OPC (Quebec).
Product overview
redtag.ca is a Canadian online travel agency and one of Canada's largest retail travel agencies, founded in 2004 and operated by H.I.S Canada Travel Inc. (a division of H.I.S. Group). The platform functions as a direct-to-consumer booking portal supplemented by over 150 contact center agents, offering flights, hotels, vacation packages, cruises, car rentals, and specialty travel. Core products include Airline Tickets, Vacation Packages, Cruises, Hotels, Car Rentals, Last Minute Deals, and All Inclusive Vacations. Specialty travel divisions cover Groups (weddings, sports, family), Ski (Alps, Rockies), M.I.C.E. (corporate events), Exotik & Adventures (curated long-stay trips), and Experiences (tours and excursions). Financial services include Flex Pay installment payments (via Uplift Canada), Blue Rewards loyalty points for cruises, and Gift Cards. Ancillary services include Travel Insurance (Manulife), Exclusive Perks (Park'N Fly parking, Plaza Premium lounges, Celitech eSIMs), Best Price Guarantee, Lowest Price Calendar, and Beat My Quote. The company also distributes tour operator brands including Sunwing Vacations, Transat Holidays, WestJet Vacations, and Air Canada Vacations. The platform operates with no booking fees on flights and hotels and is licensed in Ontario (TICO) and Quebec (OPC).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Exotik & Adventures: Long stays and once-in-a-lifetime trips
- Groups
- Ski
- Experiences
- Meetings & Incentives (M.I.C.E)
- Blue Rewards
- Flex Pay
Products and services
- Airline Tickets
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 20 years of travel industry experience backing customer service and expertise
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use redtag.ca
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
redtag.ca technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration7 records
Feature4 records
redtag.ca partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Sunwing VacationscoreFeatured tour operator partner offering all-inclusive vacation packages. Promotional partnerships including early bird sales with savings up to $1,000 per couple.
- WestJet VacationscoreFeatured tour operator partner with early bird winter sale promotions offering up to $1,000 savings on select getaways plus reduced deposit of $100 per person.
- Transat HolidayscoreFeatured tour operator partner with early bird sale promotions offering up to $1,200 per couple on vacation packages.
- Air Canada VacationscoreFeatured tour operator partner offering Caribbean packages with savings up to 40%. Provides flights and vacation packages to tropical destinations.
- Hola Sun HolidaysminorQuebec-focused tour operator partner offering vacation packages to sun destinations.
- Caribe Sol VacationsminorTour operator partner specializing in Caribbean vacation packages.
- Sunquest VacationsminorPart of H.I.S. Group retail division, offering ski packages and specialty vacation products.
- Uplift Canada (Upgrade, Inc.)coreFinancing partner providing Flex Pay installment payment option for vacation bookings. Enables customers to pay over time with monthly installments at APR ranging from 14.99%-34.99%. Minimum $300 purchase required.
- ManulifecoreTravel insurance provider offering trip cancellation, travel accident, emergency medical insurance, and business travel insurance through redtag.ca.
- Blue RewardscoreLoyalty rewards program partner allowing members to earn points on cruise bookings and everyday purchases. 16 points per $15 spent on base fare with credit card. Points redeemable at 14,352 points for $100 cruise credit.
- Park'N FlyminorAirport parking partner offering exclusive deals on long-term and weekly parking at Canadian airports including Toronto, Edmonton, Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa, and Halifax.
- Plaza Premium LoungeminorAirport lounge partner offering 20% discount to redtag.ca customers with promo code REDTAG20.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
redtag.ca competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Flight Centre Travel Group: Australian-headquartered global travel agency with a large Canadian retail footprint operating leisure and corporate travel. Closest direct competitor to redtag.ca in the Canadian retail travel agency space, with overlapping product mix (flights, packages, cruises, corporate), similar human-assisted sales model, and comparable target customer (Canadian leisure and SMB/corporate travelers).
- CAA Travel: Travel agency division of the Canadian Automobile Association serving Canadian consumers with retail stores, online booking, and member benefits. Directly comparable to redtag.ca as a Canada-focused retail travel agency combining online and brick-and-mortar channels, with similar product offerings across vacations, flights, cruises, and tours.
- Marlin Travel: Canadian retail travel agency network (now part of TPI Canada) operating franchised storefronts across Canada. Directly comparable to redtag.ca as a Canadian leisure-focused retail travel agency with a personal-service-led model, comparable product mix (vacations, cruises, groups), and similar mid-market consumer targeting.
- itravel2000: Sister brand under H.I.S Canada Travel Inc. operating a parallel Canadian online travel agency. Highly comparable as a fellow retail travel brand within the same parent portfolio, sharing GDS connectivity, supplier relationships, and operational infrastructure, but differentiated by brand positioning and customer base.
- TravelBrands: Wholesale and retail travel division of H.I.S Canada Travel Inc. operating supplier-side distribution to retail travel agents across Canada. Comparable as the B2B counterpart to redtag.ca's B2C retail operations, sharing supplier relationships, inventory, and back-office operations within the H.I.S. Canada portfolio.
Broad incumbents
- Expedia Group: Global online travel agency operating Expedia.ca in the Canadian market with extensive flight, hotel, package, and car rental inventory. While broader in scope and significantly larger, Expedia competes head-to-head with redtag.ca for Canadian leisure travel bookings and exerts downward pressure on commissions across the industry.
- Booking Holdings: Parent of Booking.com, Priceline, Kayak, and OpenTable—a global OTA conglomerate with a strong Canadian presence. Competes with redtag.ca across hotel, flight, and package bookings, and represents the dominant global OTA benchmark for inventory breadth, marketing scale, and technology investment.
- Tripadvisor: Travel meta-search and OTA platform with significant Canadian user base. Operates across flight, hotel, and package bookings as well as experiences/tours—overlapping with redtag.ca's core products and Experiences vertical. Functions as both a competitor and a marketing channel for travel suppliers.
- Skyscanner: Global flight and travel meta-search platform owned by Trip.com Group with strong Canadian user acquisition. Competes with redtag.ca primarily in flight price comparison, redirecting demand away from retail agencies. Relevant peer for benchmarking digital travel discovery and consumer acquisition economics.
Emerging players
- Hopper: App-first OTA specializing in flights, hotels, and packages with proprietary AI-driven pricing and BNPL financing. Represents an emerging competitive threat to redtag.ca in the Canadian consumer market, particularly in mobile booking and price-prediction capabilities that traditional retail agencies lack.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
redtag.ca social profiles
Digital presenceredtag.ca compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance6 records
redtag.ca financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
redtag.ca leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
redtag.ca funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
redtag.ca M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about redtag.ca
What does redtag.ca do?
redtag.ca is a Canadian online travel agency selling airline tickets, vacation packages, cruises, hotel stays, and car rentals directly to consumers through its website and phone contact centre. The company operates specialty travel divisions (Groups, Ski, Exotik & Adventures, Experiences, and M.I.C.E.) and distributes tour-operator brands such as Sunwing, WestJet Vacations, Air Canada Vacations, and Transat. Bookings are fulfilled via GDS platforms (Sabre, Amadeus, Galileo) backed by 150+ in-house travel professionals and licensed under TICO (Ontario) and OPC (Quebec).
Is redtag.ca a public or private company?
redtag.ca is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was redtag.ca founded?
redtag.ca was founded in 2004. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is redtag.ca based?
redtag.ca is headquartered in Mississauga, Canada, in the North America region.
How does redtag.ca make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Vacation Package Sales are the primary driver. The others are flight Bookings, cruise Bookings, hotel and Car Rental, professional Service Fees and add-on Services.
Who are redtag.ca's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Flight Centre Travel Group, CAA Travel, Marlin Travel, itravel2000 and TravelBrands. Broad incumbents are Expedia Group, Booking Holdings, Tripadvisor and Skyscanner. Hopper is listed as an emerging player.
Does redtag.ca have an API?
No public API is recorded for redtag.ca.
What industry is redtag.ca in?
redtag.ca's product category is Online Travel Agency. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAKABAA, Leisure & Generalist Retail Travel Agencies, with a secondary code of THAKABAD, Adventure & Active Travel Agencies. Its NAICS code is 561510 and its SIC code is 7900.