Blowes & Stewart Travel Group

What Blowes & Stewart Travel Group does

Blowes & Stewart Travel Group, operating as BST Vacations, is a privately held, family-owned Canadian full-service travel agency headquartered in Peterborough, Ontario. The firm traces its operating history to 1949, with the current entity formed by the September 2019 merger of Blowes Travel and Stewart Travel. It serves individual leisure travelers, corporate clients, group travelers, and destination wedding customers across Ontario through a network of nine physical retail offices and a 30+ home-based independent agent channel, supported by 80+ in-house team members.

BST Vacations generates revenue primarily through travel agency commissions on bookings, service fees, and markups on group tour and charter products, including escorted tours priced in the CAD $3,000-$7,000+ per-person range. The product mix spans custom leisure itineraries, corporate travel management, group tours, and destination wedding planning. The firm holds TICO registration and Ontario trust accounting compliance, IATA accreditation, CLIA membership, Uniglobe affiliation, and Virtuoso luxury network membership, which collectively support access to preferred supplier inventory and consumer trust.

The operating model is human-advisor-centric with no disclosed technology platform, proprietary booking system, or AI/ML components. Distribution and supplier relationships are the primary assets, augmented by recent partnerships with Uplift (Flex Pay installment financing) and Manulife (travel insurance) that broaden the per-customer revenue capture. The firm has expanded its tour portfolio to include international destinations such as Costa Rica (2027), Iceland, Greenland, and the Azores, and has begun supplementing in-person sales with virtual client events.

Name

Blowes & Stewart Travel Group

Legal name

Blowes & Stewart Travel Group Ltd.

Website

https://bstvacations.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Blowes & Stewart Travel Group (BST Vacations) is a privately held, family-owned Ontario travel agency formed in 2019, operating nine retail offices and a home-based agent network of 110+ advisors serving leisure, corporate, group, and destination-wedding clients across Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Travel Agency Services

NAICS

Travel Agencies (561510)

akta.pro primary industry

Family, Honeymoon & Romance Travel Agencies (THAKABAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

VIP, Executive & Roadshow Travel Services (THAKAMAK), 24/7 Traveler Support, Disruption Management & After-Hours Services (THAKAMAL)

Keywords

• Leisure travel services
• Corporate travel management
• Group tour packages
• Destination wedding planning
• Travel agency services

Headquarters

HQ city

Peterborough

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Travel Planning and Booking Services: Professional fee-based travel planning and booking services. Fees cover searching travel options, issuing tickets/vouchers, professional advice, reservation monitoring, and 24-hour assistance. Professional fees may be charged at higher amounts at advisor discretion.
2. Tour Package Sales: Sale of curated tour packages including escorted group tours (Newfoundland, Costa Rica, Rocky Mountaineer), Peterborough Departures with chartered flights, and specialty group tours (Lady Escapes, Iceland & Greenland). Revenue from package pricing minus supplier costs.
3. Travel Insurance Distribution: Sales of Manulife travel insurance products including Premium Protection Plan. Earns commissions on insurance policies sold.
4. Financing Services (Flex Pay): Partnership with Uplift Canada Services ULC offering installment payment plans for travel bookings. APRs range from 14.99%-34.99%, with promotional 0% financing available at times. Minimum $150 purchase required.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

BST Vacations is a full-service travel agency providing comprehensive travel planning, booking, and management services for leisure vacations, corporate travel, group tours, destination weddings, and specialty travel. The company sells escorted group tours, motor coach bus tours, chartered flight departure packages from Peterborough Airport, and luxury travel services through its Virtuoso network affiliation. Travel insurance and installment financing are offered as add-on services.

Product overview

BST Vacations operates as a full-service travel agency formed from the September 2019 merger of Blowes and Stewart Travel. The core offering is comprehensive travel agency services spanning leisure vacations, corporate travel management, group tours, and specialty travel such as destination weddings and honeymoons. The company differentiates through its Peterborough Departures program offering direct chartered flights from Peterborough Airport, integration with Flex Pay installment payments, Virtuoso luxury network affiliation, and comprehensive travel protection through Manulife. The product portfolio includes group tours (escorted packages to global destinations), motor coach bus tours, corporate travel management services, and leisure vacation packages, all supported by a network of over 30 home-based travel advisors across Ontario.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BST Vacations Full-Service Travel Agency Comprehensive travel planning, booking, and management services spanning leisure, corporate, and group travel segments for Ontario consumers and businesses.
• Group Tours Escorted group tours to destinations including St. Lucia, Iceland & Greenland, Ireland, Tuscany, Costa Rica, Newfoundland, and specialty tours such as women-only Lady Escapes.
• Peterborough Departures Direct chartered flight departures from Peterborough Airport to destinations including Vancouver, Alaska, St. John's, Nashville, Magdalen Islands, and Halifax using chartered 737-800 and SAAB 340 aircraft.
• Bus Tours (Motor Coach Tours) Motor coach day trips departing from Stratford and Peterborough to destinations including Jays games, Broadway shows, Wonderland, shopping trips, and Dirty Dancing the Musical.
• Corporate Travel Management Corporate travel management services including business travel booking, conference and events planning, and incentive travel programs for Ontario businesses.
• Leisure Vacations Vacation packages covering sunny destinations, family Disney trips, adventure travel, voluntourism, and cruise bookings for individual consumers and families.
• Destination Weddings & Honeymoons Specialized planning services for destination weddings and honeymoons at romantic locations worldwide.
• BST Long Stays Extended stay vacation packages and travel planning for longer holidays.

Quantifiable outcome

• Professional fees included with bookings, saving clients time researching and booking multiple suppliers independently
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.

• VirtuosocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBST Vacations is a designated Virtuoso agency, providing access to the travel industry's leading luxury network spanning over 26 countries and 9,000 travel advisors. Virtuoso partners with hotels, cruise lines, and tour operators, offering BST clients VIP recognition including room upgrades, complimentary breakfasts, spa credits, and privileged access to events.
• Uplift Canada Services ULCsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with Uplift Canada Services ULC (subsidiary of Upgrade, Inc.) providing Flex Pay installment financing for travel bookings. APRs range 14.99%-34.99% with promotional 0% options. Minimum $150 purchase required.
• Manulife Global/Manulife Premium Protection PlansupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerPreferred travel insurance partner offering Manulife Premium Protection Plan and comprehensive insurance coverage. Direct booking link provided through BST website for client convenience.
• Rocky MountaineercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRocky Mountaineer is a featured tour operator for BST Vacations. They offer luxury rail journeys between Vancouver and the Canadian Rockies with GoldLeaf and SilverLeaf service levels. BST packages include rail tours with stays in Vancouver, Jasper, and Banff.
• Emerald Cruise LinessupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEmerald Cruise Lines is a river cruise operator featured by BST Vacations. Offers river cruises such as Danube Explorer aboard Emerald Destiny with all-inclusive experiences and intimate settings (max ~200 guests).
• Royal CaribbeansupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRoyal Caribbean cruise line featured by BST Vacations. Examples include Anthem of the Seas pre-inaugural sailing experiences shared by agents Lynda Sorrie and Myenna Doering.
• UniglobeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUniglobe Partner agency - franchise/network partnership with Uniglobe travel brand.
• Peterborough AirportcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBST Vacations operates exclusive charter departures from Peterborough Airport using private chartered aircraft (737-800 and SAAB 340). This partnership enables unique departure programs not available through other agencies in the region.
• International Air Transport Association (IATA)coreTechnology or IntegrationIATA accredited agency enabling airline ticket issuance and access to global airline reservation systems.
• Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO)coreTechnology or IntegrationRegulatory body for Ontario travel agencies. TICO registration ensures consumer protection and trust accounting compliance.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Hopper: AI-driven travel booking app with fintech offerings (price freeze, installment payments). Comparable to BST's Flex Pay/Uplift financing feature and overlaps in the consumer leisure booking space, though focused on mobile self-service.

Broad incumbents

• Expedia Group: Global online travel agency platform. Indirectly comparable to BST as it competes for the same leisure and corporate travel wallet, but operates as a self-service digital marketplace rather than advisor-led service.
• Booking Holdings: Parent of Booking.com, Priceline, and KAYAK — leading global online travel agencies. Comparable to BST in target customer (leisure travelers) but competes via price transparency and self-service rather than human advisors.
• American Express Global Business Travel: Large-scale corporate travel management company. Comparable to BST's corporate travel segment (conference, incentive, business travel) but at much greater scale and with proprietary technology.

Direct peers

• TravelOnly: Canadian host travel agency with a network of home-based advisors across Ontario. Closely comparable to BST's home-based agent model and full-service leisure and corporate booking capability.
• CAA Travel: One of Canada's largest travel agency networks, operating through Ontario-based CAA South Central Ontario clubs. Directly comparable to BST as a full-service Ontario travel agency serving leisure members with vacation packages, cruises, and group tours.
• Uniglobe Travel: BST's own network partner — a global travel agency franchise with strong Canadian presence. Directly comparable as a corporate and leisure travel agency selling through affiliated independent agents across Ontario.
• Marlin Travel: Canadian-owned retail travel agency franchise network with locations across Canada, including Ontario. Highly comparable to BST in offering full-service leisure and corporate travel planning through brick-and-mortar offices with a franchise model.
• Nexion Canada: Host agency providing back-office support to independent Canadian travel advisors. Comparable to BST's home-based agent network and supplier access model for leisure and group travel.
• Flight Centre Travel Group (Canada): Major Canadian travel agency retail brand with extensive brick-and-mortar presence across Ontario. Competes directly with BST in leisure, corporate, and group travel with similar advisor-led service model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bstvacations
• Facebookfacebook.com/BSTvacations
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bst-vacations-blowes-stewart-travel-group-ltd
• Instagraminstagram.com/bstvacations

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Blowes & Stewart Travel Group