Monday, May 26, 2025
Canada’s tourism revival is picking up real speed in 2025, as airlines pull back from the United States and redirect flights toward Canada, Mexico, Brazil, and the Caribbean—reshaping not just routes, but the entire rhythm of North American travel. With Winnipeg now hosting Rendez-vous Canada 2025, the country’s largest tourism tradeshow, the timing couldn’t be better. Hotel bookings are rising, international interest is surging, and Canada is suddenly front and center for both global travelers and the airlines trying to keep up. Add to that a bold new rapid rail expansion connecting major cities like Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal, and what’s unfolding isn’t just a comeback—it’s a clear shift in where people want to go and how they want to get there.
As Winnipeg prepares to host Rendez-vous Canada 2025 this week, the city is doing more than setting out welcome mats—it’s positioning itself at the heart of a national tourism renaissance. For four days starting May 27, the capital of Manitoba will be the gathering point for hundreds of industry leaders, global buyers, and travel media who are converging to strike deals, share stories, and reimagine the future of tourism in a country that’s clearly on the rise.
After years of global uncertainty and shifting travel patterns, this year’s RVC event couldn’t come at a more pivotal moment. Canada is enjoying a surge in international interest, with double-digit growth in air bookings from key markets overseas—a clear signal that travelers are returning, and they’re doing it with confidence. At the same time, airlines around the world are rethinking their route maps, pulling back from the U.S. while expanding service to Canadian destinations and booming Latin American hubs.
More than 1,400 delegates are expected to touch down in Winnipeg for the annual tradeshow, including over 400 tourism buyers from 22 different countries. On the Canadian side, 500 businesses—ranging from major hotel groups to small Indigenous tour operators—will be showcasing what they have to offer. By the time the final meeting wraps up, more than 50,000 pre-scheduled appointments will have taken place across the venue’s hallways and meeting rooms.
And the numbers don’t end there. Local officials expect this week’s event to inject at least $4.6 million into the Winnipeg economy—$2.8 million in direct spending, and another $1.8 million in indirect impact. More than 4,000 hotel room nights have already been secured, with restaurants, transport companies, and event vendors all seeing a sharp uptick in bookings.
But while the tradeshow is the centerpiece, it’s the broader landscape of change that has Canada’s tourism sector buzzing.
Airlines Cut Back on US Routes as Canada and Latin America Pick Up Steam
There’s no denying that something’s shifting in the air. In recent months, major international carriers have quietly scaled back their operations to several U.S. cities. Lufthansa has cut flights to New York, Miami, and Chicago. British Airways has pulled service from Las Vegas and reduced flights to Orlando and Philadelphia. Air France, KLM, Iberia, and Swiss have all made similar adjustments—often citing falling demand, rising costs, or simply better returns elsewhere.
Instead, those aircraft are being rerouted. Canada is gaining ground. Caribbean islands are seeing renewed interest. Latin America is heating up. From São Paulo to Cancun, global carriers are racing to meet the swelling demand, opening new routes or increasing frequencies to destinations that promise a better mix of value, safety, and cultural appeal.
Airlines like Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, and TAP Portugal are adding service to Brazil and Mexico. Virgin Atlantic has returned to the Caribbean with flights to Havana and Montego Bay. It’s a redistribution of resources that tells a story: the center of gravity in North American travel is subtly shifting north—and south.
Air Canada Pulls the Plug on Five US Routes for Winter 2025–26
That shift is also playing out closer to home. Last week, Air Canada confirmed that it will be suspending five routes to U.S. cities ahead of the upcoming winter travel season. Starting in late September or early October, travelers will no longer find direct flights on the following routes:
Montreal to DetroitMontreal to MinneapolisToronto to IndianapolisVancouver to NashvilleVancouver to Tampa
These weren’t fringe routes—they connected Canadian business and leisure travelers to key mid-sized U.S. cities. But demand hasn’t bounced back the way it has elsewhere, and Air Canada is rethinking its network with a more cautious, profitability-focused lens.
Executives point to dwindling passenger loads, increased competition on overlapping routes, and changing seasonal habits. Snowbirds who once flocked to Florida, for instance, are cutting back. Business travel to cities like Detroit and Indianapolis hasn’t fully rebounded. Meanwhile, new opportunities are opening up in Latin America and the Caribbean, where Canadians are booking vacations at pre-pandemic levels—and then some.
From Rails to Riches: Canada’s High-Speed Train Ambitions Take Shape
As airlines recalibrate, Canada is also making moves on the ground. And one of the biggest stories of the year isn’t about planes—it’s about trains.
After decades of stalled proposals, the country’s long-envisioned high-speed rail network is finally beginning to look real. A dedicated corridor between Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, and Quebec City is moving into active planning stages, with federal and provincial leaders pledging support and investors lining up. The promise? Fast, reliable, and low-emission travel between Canada’s most dynamic cities—without the baggage fees and tarmac delays.
In the best-case scenario, travel times could be slashed in half. A ride from Toronto to Montreal could take less than three hours, with travelers able to hop on from downtown and avoid the hassle of airports entirely. For tourism, that changes the game: spontaneous weekend trips, quick business meetings, and eco-conscious itineraries suddenly become much more feasible.
While skeptics remain—citing costs, political hurdles, and logistical complexity—public demand is growing. Travelers want alternatives, and rail is getting a second look not just as a nostalgic throwback, but as a forward-looking solution.
Spotlight on Manitoba: Local Operators Step Onto the Global Stage
Back in Winnipeg, the focus this week is also local. Thirty tourism businesses from Manitoba are participating in RVC this year—ten of them for the very first time. From Indigenous-owned adventure companies to boutique accommodations and wildlife outfitters, these operators will get face time with international buyers looking to sign long-term deals.
It’s a rare and valuable opportunity. Many of these businesses operate year-round in remote or seasonal markets, and the connections forged at RVC could lead to bookings that sustain them throughout the off-season.
To help showcase Manitoba’s offerings, nearly 200 buyers and media representatives will be heading out on pre- and post-event familiarization tours. From the polar bear capital of Churchill to the vibrant cultural pockets of Prairie towns, these tours are designed to tell stories, create buzz, and—ideally—drive future travel.
For a province often overshadowed by bigger tourism players, it’s a moment to show off everything that’s changed since Winnipeg last hosted RVC in 2010—and to remind the world that Manitoba is more than just a stopover.
The Bigger Picture: A Tourism Sector in Full Reinvention
There’s no denying the turbulence the tourism industry has faced in recent years. But if there’s a thread running through all of these changes—from airline realignments and rail innovations to tradeshow turnouts—it’s that Canada isn’t just bouncing back. It’s evolving.
The numbers are pointing in the right direction. The conversations at RVC are full of cautious optimism. And the energy in places like Winnipeg, where locals are rolling out the red carpet with pride, suggests that the appetite to travel—and to welcome the world—is alive and well.
More than ever, Canada is being seen not just as an alternative to other destinations, but as a destination of choice. The challenge now is to meet that moment with infrastructure, partnerships, and bold thinking.
If this week’s event is any indication, that process is already well underway.
