Marc Savoie is a real dynamo, a force of nature who, between work calls, the needs of travellers, and preparations for upcoming trips, carves out time every day to relax (or grant an interview), before turning back to his daily to-do list. “I love working with people, creating experiences for them, regardless of the destination,” he says earnestly.
A natural-born athlete, this ball of energy took up downhill skiing at the age of two. “My father was passionate about sports and had me skiing and playing hockey at the same time,” recalls Savoie. He soon distinguished himself and, at the time when young elite athletes choose one discipline over another, he chose skiing. “When I was 14 years old, I began attending training camps on glaciers in the Alps with the elite DLS (Division Laurentienne de Ski) team.” Although his career as a professional skier never took off, his love of skiing helped him find his true calling. At the age of 23, after some soul-searching and with the encouragement of his wife, Nathalie Rho, he decided to use his knowledge and skills to start a sports travel agency. “We picked the name Sportvac (‘sport’ plus ‘vacation’) thinking we would also offer packages focused on golf, which was already a passion of mine.” With little money but a lot of enthusiasm and some luck as someone from the Cossette communications agency offered to create the company’s brand image, Savoie, Rho, and Sportvac presented their first tours in 1990.
They started out slowly, with the mountains and ski resorts that Savoie knew best—the Tignes–Val d’Isère ski area in France and Zermatt in Switzerland—followed by destinations in Western Canada, the United States, and Japan. “I’ve been going to the Alps for 43 years to enjoy the landscape, the space, and the tranquility. When you ski, you free up your brain and let go of stress. It’s my happy place. I love passing this experience on to my clients.”
To complement the skiing, he added golf, which took him to the southern and central United States, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Portugal, and, of course, Ireland and Scotland. Savoie then introduced an element to his array of packages: Formula 1 races. “The concept really blew up in 1997 when we started organizing trips to Grand Prix racing events in Monza, Italy, Monaco, Spain, and Montréal, among others. We put together a Web platform that helped us reach Formula 1 fans in South America, France, and the United States.”
In the last few years, this sports enthusiast has become equally passionate about vineyards. “I love wine, fine dining, the art of living and I’m interested in the history of châteaus, wineries, winemakers… It’s a different kind of passion. For me, the pleasures of drinking wine are not about the quality of the bottle, but the friends around me.”
Whatever the trip, the destination, or the expectations of those who choose him as their leader, Savoie shows the same spirit and attention, while vouching for the quality of service provided by the Quebec guides that he employs in the field. This avid consumer of discoveries, culture, and encounters, who has become friends with many of the people he has met during his travels, is interested in local specialties and secret mountain spots as well as how climate change and tourism are affecting his favourite places. As Sportvac, a family-run business, prepares to celebrate its 35th anniversary, Savoie is preparing his oldest son, Alexandre, to take over, although he has no intention of retiring.
Many people like to take a break by travelling, but Savoie prefers to treat himself to moments of peace and quiet. “I’m away from home 185 days a year, so when I want to unwind, I think about going salmon fishing with old friends. Fishing the river, hearing the therapeutic sound of running water, being in nature, having simple meals, and relaxing all help clear my head.” Savoie has developed more than one strategy for recharging his batteries and enjoying some downtime. A motorcycle enthusiast, he took some long rides to explore the North Shore, the Gaspé Peninsula and James Bay right before the pandemic. He also does woodworking, making simple pieces of furniture all by himself, and has a special passion for photography. “I was into photography when I was young and started up again after the pandemic. I take many of the client photos that I put together and send them. But my true passion is black and white nature and landscape photography.”
Even when Savoie does give himself some time off, one can tell that work is never far away. Although he has worked to make Sportvac a leading force in the industry, a benchmark in travel, and is constantly thinking about developing new markets, he has still found his own ways to relax. Just give him a few moments alone with a fishing pole or a camera, and he is ready to set off around the world again.
Cover image: Photo Audrey-Eve Beauchamp.
