New service supports affordable visitor access, international travel connections, and outdoor tourism package development
Explorers’ Edge is pleased to welcome expanded service with FlixBus, North America’s fastest-growing intercity bus service, to Muskoka and the wider Great Canadian Wilderness region. The seasonal routes create new ground transportation connections between Toronto Union Station, Toronto Pearson International Airport, Gravenhurst, Bracebridge, Huntsville, South River and North Bay, while also adding Parry Sound Municipal Airport to the existing Sudbury route.
The service launches at an important time for Ontario’s tourism economy. With travellers increasingly seeking convenient, budget-friendly long-distance transportation options, FlixBus offers a more affordable, accessible way for visitors to reach rural Ontario without the expense or complexity of driving.
The schedule is also conducive to real trip planning, allowing travellers to consider day trips, overnight stays, hotel check-ins, outdoor experiences and regional itineraries that align with how visitors actually make travel decisions.
The partnership with FlixBus also supports the organization’s emerging Regenerative Travel Agency model, focused on developing bookable visitor experiences that connect transportation, accommodations, attractions, outdoor adventure, culture and local spending.
The opportunity is especially significant for domestic and international travellers arriving through Toronto and Pearson Airport. Explorers’ Edge will work with regional partners to develop packages and itineraries that move visitors directly from the bus route into outdoor experiences, accommodations, downtowns, attractions and communities across the region.
“Transportation is one of the missing pieces in rural destination development,” said James Murphy, CEO of Explorers’ Edge. “At a time when affordability matters more than ever, FlixBus gives us a platform to connect the economics of travel with real, bookable tourism products. Just as important, the schedule allows visitors to arrive, check in, explore and build a meaningful itinerary. International travellers already understand this transportation model. Our job now is to connect the bus directly to the outdoor experiences, accommodations and communities that make this region so compelling. We are proud to work with FlixBus, a transportation company whose values around accessibility, affordability, inclusion, innovation and more sustainable travel align strongly with our organization.”
The North Bay route includes stops at Fairfield Inn & Suites Gravenhurst, Tru by Hilton Bracebridge, Holiday Inn Express & Suites Huntsville, Crystal Cave in South River, and Holiday Inn Express & Suites North Bay by IHG.
“As demand for affordable travel continues to grow, we’re focused on expanding service to destinations travellers are actively looking to visit,” said Karina Frayter, head of communications at Flix North America. “Our partnership with Explorers’ Edge helps make it easier for visitors to experience Muskoka, Parry Sound, and Northern Ontario while supporting the communities and tourism businesses that make the region such an important part of Ontario’s visitor economy.”
“Improved transportation access is critical if we want more visitors to experience the region in a way that is practical, welcoming and connected,” said Brent Ellerson, Marketing Manager at Algonquin Outfitters and Vice Chair of Explorers’ Edge. “For a traveller arriving without a vehicle, or for someone looking for a more affordable way to explore Ontario, the ability to connect bus service with outdoor experiences, accommodations and local businesses can make the difference between interest and action.”
The announcement also aligns with broader provincial tourism priorities. The Tourism Industry Association of Ontario’s Forward Motion: A Strategic Playbook for Ontario’s Tourism Industry identifies expanded transportation infrastructure as a key component of building a more competitive and connected visitor economy.
“Forward Motion makes it clear that transportation is not separate from tourism growth — it is one of the conditions that enables it,” said Andrew Siegwart, President and CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario. “When regions connect transportation infrastructure with product development, visitor dispersal, workforce access and local business participation, they are helping bring Ontario’s tourism strategy to life.”
Explorers’ Edge will continue working with FlixBus, Tourism North Bay, Destination Marketing Organizations, accommodation partners, municipal partners, Chambers of Commerce, BIAs, attractions, outfitters and tourism operators to build awareness of the service and develop packages connected to the route.
About Explorers’ Edge
Explorers’ Edge is the Regional Tourism Organization for Ontario’s Great Canadian Wilderness, including Muskoka, Parry Sound, Almaguin Highlands, Loring-Restoule, South Algonquin and Algonquin Park. Through its consumer brand, The Great Canadian Wilderness, Explorers’ Edge supports destination development, workforce development, product development, investment attraction, marketing and strategic partnerships across the region.
About FlixBus
Flix North America Inc., the parent company of FlixBus Inc. and Greyhound Lines, Inc., is a leading provider of long-distance bus transportation in North America. We’re a subsidiary of Germany-based Flix SE, a global travel technology company operating bus and train services in more than 40 countries across four continents. Greyhound and FlixBus, together with their trusted partners, offer the most extensive coast-to-coast network of intercity bus routes, providing travellers with affordable and sustainable transportation options to more than 1,800 destinations in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. More than 12 million passengers ride with us each year. Our mission is to keep communities connected and help drive affordable and sustainable travel for everyone. For more information, please visit our website and press room.
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