Catching Up with Rocky Mountaineer’s Tristan Armstrong

In March 2024, Tristan Armstrong stepped into the CEO role at Rocky Mountaineer, leading the rail company during one of its most executing periods in its 35-year history.   

The family-owned luxury train operator was founded by Peter Armstrong, Tristan’s father, in 1990. Before long, the brand was on the right track, headed straight for success. In 1999, the company set a record for the longest passenger train in Canadian history, and in 2008, Rocky Mountaineer welcomed its one millionth guest.

Now, Armstrong’s company is forging new paths in the luxury rail market. What the industry knows as “Rocky Mountaineer” is undergoing a brand evolution: the Canadian and U.S. routes are have been split into separate brands, Rocky Mountaineer and Canyon Spirit, respectively, both within a portfolio managed by parent company Armstrong Collective.

Armstrong told Travel Market Report in an exclusive interview that he’s grateful to be continuing the family business at such an exciting time in the industry.

“We are a family company, but now we’re transitioning into this new era of being a family of different brands,” said Armstrong. “It’s been a really rewarding experience to date…to be able to continue that legacy and grow that legacy is certainly a tremendous privilege.”

Why Rocky Mountaineer Is Bullish on its Future

Despite ongoing anxieties within the travel industry regarding U.S. and Canada tourism relations, Armstrong has an optimistic outlook for both Rocky Mountaineer and Canyon Spirit. 

“What we do is so unique. There are not many comparables in the world of being a daylight sightseeing train,” he explained. “We’ve got 35 years of our history in Western Canada and we still see tremendous opportunity for us to continue to grow.”

The Rocky Mountaineer and Canyon Spirit offer scenic rail experiences that combine natural scenery, viewed through the rail company’s iconic panoramic coaches, and the comfort of nightly hotel stays. Onboard amenities include entertainment, meals, and, for those in the “GoldLeaf” tier, access to an exclusive dining car and outdoor viewing platform.

Armstrong believes their unique offering is particularly well-positioned for the incoming influx of young Baby Boomers and Gen X headed for retirement.

“Our demographic is 55+. Individuals who have either retired or are on their way to retirement… Individuals who are rich in time,” explained Armstrong. “When we look at demographic changes in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada, we see a great opportunity there. There’s going to be a pipeline of people growing into this market.”

The Luxury Rail Experience

Armstrong credits the inherent “romance” of train travel for Rocky Mountaineer’s success.

“It’s a very calm, relaxing way to see the world,” he said. “Traveling by train, it just allows our guests to relax, immerse themselves in the scenery, [and] immerse themselves in our onboard experience, which includes great storytelling, fantastic food.”

In addition to the natural beauty, Armstrong said rail has a social appeal for travelers—whether that’s people looking to socialize with their families and friends, or solo travelers looking to find camaraderie among like-minded people. 

“There’s a social connection that happens onboard our trains that is really special… Drinks, all the revelry, the social nature of being onboard a train—meeting strangers on day one, but becoming friends and future travel companions by day two—there’s a lot of time to get to know each other.”

When it comes to developing a luxury product, Armstrong told TMR that Rocky Mountaineer strives to  “always [raise] the bar for tremendous guest service delivery,” aiming to be a leader in the space.  

Across the industry—hotel, rail or air—a true luxury experience comes down to the level of customer service, and delivering “intimate connections and higher touch points,” the CEO explained.   

“That could be as simple as getting quicker attention to have another cocktail. It could be more customization for the dining experience [or] more customization for the storytelling,” said Armstrong. 

This luxury service level includes anticipating guest needs and making travel as easy and seamless as possible, from start to finish. Armstrong told TMR that Rocky Mountaineer and Canyon Spirit pride themselves in “proactive communication” that identifies problems and solutions for customers before a negative situation arrives. 

“Really anticipate the needs of our guests and take away those friction points to make their travel experience even more seamless,” said Armstrong. 

The Canyon Spirit Rebrand & Salt Lake City Extension

Rocky Mountaineer isn’t exactly new to the U.S. region, but their expansion has been held back by macroeconomic factors. 

The rail company introduced its Rockies to the Red Rocks route in the U.S. in 2020. The rollout’s timing was impacted by the pandemic, and although Rocky Mountaineer was able to “rebound quite quickly from COVID,” according to Armstrong. In 2024, 90% of Rocky Mountaineer’s guests traveled on Canadian routes.

With the new Canyon Spirit rebrand, Armstrong hopes to build out the U.S. arm and attract more guests to the American Southwest packages. This includes the new Salt Lake City extension, which is available to book now and debuts in April 2026.

When asked about the Salt Lake City extension, Armstrong said the region was added in response to guest feedback.

“The connectivity to Moab was a bit challenging. Airlift was limited,” the CEO explained. “Salt Lake City is going through a boom right now… With the tremendous airport being a hub for Delta Airlines, to pair that with Denver being a United Airlines hub gave us great airlift in and out of two different destinations.”

As part of this launch, Canyon Spirit released a travel advisor training program, called TRACKS. The CEO told TMR that the feedback from the trade on the rebrand has been positive. 

“There’s a lot of excitement,” said Armstrong. “There’s an acknowledgement of our commitment to grow this product and work collaboratively with the trade.”

Armstrong said he is bullish on the potential in the American Southwest, and that the Canyon Spirit brand will serve as a foundation for them to build on for years to come. The company’s marketing team worked hard to find a new branding for the American Southwest offering that captured the spirit and charm of that region.

“We needed to really give freedom to the American product to become its own entity,” explained Armstrong.

The CEO told TMR that the new direction will help maintain the strength of the existing Rocky Mountaineer brand for Canadian journeys, while allowing more space for the American Southwest offering to develop its own niche in the market.

“Canyon Spirit doesn’t have the burden of a 30-year-old product somewhere else in the world. It can grow and become a product that is reflective of the communities in the region it operates in.”