By Marsha Walden, President and CEO of Destination Canada 
 

When I think about the future of Canada’s economy, I don’t just see bustling main streets and burgeoning factories — I see travellers ordering lobster in the seaside villages of Nova Scotia, shopping the historic streets of Old Quebec, camping in the coastal rainforests of British Columbia, and chasing aurora in the Northwest Territories. I see the ripple effect of the travel and tourism economy, quietly and quickly driving growth, creating jobs in urban, rural and remote communities, and strengthening Canada’s identity and its place in the world.

At a time when global economic uncertainty clouds the horizon, Canada’s travel and tourism sector offers something rare: fast returns and widespread impact. It's one of our most powerful — and often underestimated — economic forces. And, with success in addressing the barriers to making Canada even more competitive, the future growth potential of tourism remains huge. 

The Untapped Giant in Our Economy 

Today, tourism generates $130 billion in direct annual revenue, sustaining over $250 billion in total economic activity across Canada and adding $51 billion to our GDP. Looking to 2030, Destination Canada and Tourism Economics forecast that tourism will continue to outperform Canada's overall economic growth, offering an extraordinary opportunity to strengthen our economy from coast to coast to coast.

You might be surprised to learn tourism is one of Canada’s largest industries – bigger than mining, forestry, and automotive manufacturing. It fuels businesses in over 5,000 communities — from the cruise ports in Atlantic Canada, to the fishing lodges on Indigenous territories, to the boutique wineries of the Okanagan. Every day, the travel and tourism sector brings in $350 million in direct revenue. One in ten jobs in Canada depend on tourism-related activity. From a first job to a long-term career, this sector has a role for every talent and temperament — pilots to programmers, sommeliers to surf instructors – in every corner of Canada, giving Canadians a chance to live and work where they grew up. 

An Export with Immediate Impact 

When a traveller from Germany books a hotel in Tofino, or a delegate from Japan attends a conference in Toronto, they are contributing to one of Canada’s most important exports: tourism.

Tourism is Canada’s second-largest service export, bringing $31 billion into the country last year. Unlike traditional exports, where goods are shipped out of country, tourism brings the world’s people to us —along with their spending on Canadian services, products, culture, and experiences — immediately injecting new money into local economies and bringing new ideas into Canada.  A visit today seeds the opportunity for travellers to trade, invest, work, or live in Canada tomorrow. 

Delivering ROI for All of Canada  

We may be small compared to some global players, but we punch above our weight. 

Destination Canada is a federal agency responsible for supporting a vibrant and profitable tourism industry. We work with provinces, territories, cities, industry associations and businesses to improve our sector’s competitiveness and to present a unified brand strategy that supercharges our collective impact abroad. We produce integrated sales and marketing campaigns, world-recognized AI-driven data platforms and research insights for industry, and tools that give our travel and tourism sector a real competitive edge. 

Our marketing and sales efforts focus on a diverse portfolio of nine high-potential markets that deliver high-yield travellers —  including the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Mexico, Australia, China, Japan, and South Korea. These markets offer the highest return on investment for Canada today. There is much more room for further growth from these markets, as well as others gaining in strategic importance. Every $1.00 we invest generates $23.85 in total economic activity for Canada. 

Why Now Matters 

Around the world, nations are investing heavily to capture a greater share of $2.9 trillion in global travel spending projected for 2025. And the size of the opportunity keeps growing. 

Right now, as economic changes and consumer uncertainty sweep the world, travel patterns are shifting quickly. Even more travellers will be open to experiencing what Canada has to offer. 

Travel and tourism is about more than vacations — it brings meetings and events that attract global talent to experience Canada, it enables free-flowing trade and innovation, it connects Canadian businesses directly to world markets, and it builds bridges between cultures. Strong global travel networks and competitive transport hubs that move both goods and people will be central to our country’s economic ambitions.

It’s no secret that Canadians — and the tourism businesses that welcome the world — are some of the nicest hosts anywhere. In a time when genuine relationships and a generous spirit matter more than ever, Canada’s openness is one of our greatest strengths and competitive advantages. 

Our communities are eager to host. Our entrepreneurs are ready to deliver. Our people are primed to delight. There is strong demand for what Canada offers. Our opportunity is now. 

Seizing the Opportunity by Competing Better 

Welcoming the world could be one of our nation’s best fast-growth strategies. But the competition is fierce. Seizing a greater share of the $2.9 trillion tourism opportunity requires urgency, coordination, and investment in both building demand and strengthening supply.

Travel and tourism bodies should collaborate deeply and invest strategically in sales and marketing to compete more vigorously and generate greater demand for travel to Canada. To bolster supply, our sector must work more closely with economic development agencies and private investors, identifying critical infrastructure, innovative products and services, and new experiences.

 We are a sector of solutions for today’s challenges — a sector that strengthens our economy, our communities, and our relationships across the world.  We are building on what comes naturally to Canadians: sharing our open hearts, open minds, and open spaces. And along the way, we are building wealth and wellbeing for Canadians from coast to coast to coast. 

Because when the world comes to Canada, Canada becomes stronger.

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