Canada has been adapting to the absence of Chinese group tours by seeking other sources of tourism growth, such as through a new fund to attract business events and plans to co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Despite disputes between Canada and China, the country surpassed its 2019 tourism revenue last year thanks to visitors from the U.S., Europe, Mexico, and Australia. While China is still missing from the market portfolio, Walden believes this aligns with Canada’s new focus on attracting fully independent travelers.
In a recent interview, Walden discussed Canada’s post-pandemic international tourism recovery, highlighting that the country has fully recovered in terms of revenue and is performing well with visitors from the U.S., Europe, Mexico, and Australia. Despite the absence of group travel from China, Canada has still managed to reach 104% of revenues from 2019. It is expected that Asian markets, such as Japan and South Korea, will recover in 2024 or 2025.
As Canada prepares to co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, efforts are being made to streamline travel for fans attending the tournament. Canada is working with the U.S. to make the travel experience between countries as smooth as possible for visitors. Additionally, Walden emphasized the legacy impact of hosting such a major event, which can help showcase Canada and attract more tourists in the future.
Canada’s new tourism promotion fund, the International Convention Attraction Fund, aims to secure events that may need incentive to come to Canada. This initiative, supported by the federal government, offers financial support to destinations looking to host conventions and boost tourism. Despite the slow recovery of business travel, Canada is implementing strategies to attract investment and become more competitive in the tourism industry.
Interest from international tourists in Canada’s celestial events, such as the Northern Lights and dark skies, has been on the rise. This niche product has attracted visitors from Japan and South Korea, with operators reporting high demand through 2024 and 2025. Additionally, efforts are being made to measure the sustainability of events to offer more attractive options for corporate event producers.
While the recovery of Canada’s tourism industry has been uneven, more than 80% of loans offered by the government are being repaid. However, some small and medium-sized businesses in the tourism sector are struggling to repay their loans, leading to potential shutdowns. This turnover and change in the industry could impact Canada’s capacity to meet travel demand in the future. To address these challenges, Canada is working on its 2030 strategy and launching a new tourism data project to provide insights on tourism trends and opportunities for investment.
