“Prepare to Be Surprised”: Guatemala Courts Travel Pros With New Air Canada Flights

Guatemala is ready for its close-up.

And with new Air Canada flights connecting Toronto to Guatemala City, the Central American destination is hoping Canadian travellers will soon discover that there’s a lot more to the country than meets the eye.

That was the message Monday night (Oct. 26) at the W Toronto, where Guatemala’s tourism agency, INGUAT, and Air Canada welcomed approximately 70 travel professionals, media and influencers for an evening celebrating the destination’s growing presence in Canada.

The star of the show was Harris Whitbeck, Guatemala’s Minister of Tourism, who delivered an image-rich presentation showcasing the country’s extraordinary diversity, from ancient Mayan ruins and towering volcanoes to Indigenous communities, tropical rainforests and lakes.

A massive widescreen display brought it all to life, filling the W’s event space with soaring images of mountain ranges, colourful textiles, dense jungles and landscapes that practically placed guests directly inside the destination.

Organized by Montreal-based Duval Communication, which represents Guatemala in Canada, the evening had a clear objective: put Guatemala on the radar. Because now is the time.

Starting December 1, Air Canada will introduce year-round service between Toronto Pearson and Guatemala City, with one weekly Thursday flight aboard an Airbus A330-300.

The route complements Air Canada’s existing Montreal–Guatemala City service, which has also expanded to year-round.

“It’s closer than you think,” noted Whitbeck, sharing how nonstop flights are less than five hours, which is “closer than Vancouver.”

Four places, countless reasons to visit

During his presentation, Whitbeck highlighted four destinations that promise an introduction to Guatemala’s cultural and geographical diversity.

Guatemala City, he argued, deserves more than a quick airport transfer. Home to more than three million people, the capital offers museums, galleries, contemporary designers, a growing culinary scene and striking examples of tropical brutalist architecture.

Antigua, a UNESCO World Heritage Site surrounded by volcanoes, combines colonial architecture, boutique hotels, coffee farms and restaurants with opportunities for adventure, including hiking Acatenango volcano.

It’s also becoming a major destination wedding hotspot. Whitbeck shared that even his niece, despite having the tourism minister for an uncle, is facing an 18-month waiting list to get married there.

Lake Atitlán, surrounded by three volcanoes and more than 10 Indigenous communities, offers a different pace. Travellers can explore villages by boat, visit weaving cooperatives, tour coffee farms or simply soak up the scenery.

The lake is also emerging as a wellness destination, with yoga retreats, meditation experiences and intimate boutique properties.

“The landscape is extraordinary, but the people who live with the lake are extraordinary too,” Whitbeck said.

Finally, Petén, in northern Guatemala, opens the door to the ancient Mayan world.

Here, the temples of Tikal rise above the rainforest canopy, while howler monkeys, birds and occasionally jaguars remind visitors that nature is as much a part of the experience as archaeology.

The region contains thousands of archaeological sites, lakes and vast stretches of tropical rainforest, offering opportunities for both exploration and discovery.

Impressive growth

Guatemala’s tourism ambitions are backed by impressive growth.

According to Whitbeck, international visitor arrivals increased by a cumulative 26 per cent across 2024 and 2025.

In 2025 alone, arrivals grew 11 per cent, compared with five per cent globally and three per cent across the Americas.

INGUAT expects Canadian arrivals to reach 49,320 in 2026 before climbing to 60,209 in 2027, a projected year-over-year increase of 22.1 per cent.

Air Canada’s expanded airlift is expected to accelerate that momentum.

“Guatemala offers an incredible combination of culture, history, adventure, and warm hospitality, making it a destination that can be enjoyed throughout the year,” said Shabnam Esfahani, manager, speciality sales at Air Canada, in a presentation.

Minister Whitbeck noted that Canadians typically spend about two weeks in Guatemala, giving them time to explore multiple regions rather than rushing through a checklist of attractions.

Authenticity is “the main selling point”

During his presentation, Whitbeck repeatedly used words that have become increasingly familiar in travel industry conversations: transformative, authenticity, community, experiential tourism and “travel with purpose.”

It could have been a Word Cloud straight out of a G Adventures presentation.

And indeed, David Green, managing director for G Adventures in Canada and global vice-president of sales and customer operations, was spotted in the audience, nodding enthusiastically in approval.

(Guatemala, fittingly, is also among the destinations offered in G’s 2027 FAM program for Canadian travel advisors).

These so-called travel “buzzwords,” however, reflect how Guatemala wants to develop tourism.

“Authenticity is the country’s main selling point,” Minister Whitbeck said. “And that authenticity can only be preserved if we work with communities and create the conditions for them to tell the story that they want to tell.”

It’s a philosophy that also aligns with changing traveller expectations.

“The ‘new luxury’ is connecting to experiences,” the Minister later told Travel Market Report Canada. “Experiential tourism is the big buzzword and that’s what Guatemala is.” 

Communities come first

For Whitbeck, who spent nearly 30 years working in international journalism before entering government, telling Guatemala’s story comes naturally.

But it’s also about challenging outdated perceptions and introducing travellers to a country that is as contemporary and creative as it is culturally rich.

“Our objective isn’t just isn’t to reinvent Guatemala. It’s to allow the world to discover everything that has always made our country extraordinary,” he said.

That means showcasing not only ancient Mayan temples and breathtaking landscapes, but also the artists, designers, entrepreneurs and Indigenous communities shaping Guatemala’s future.

One example is Guatemala Designs by Hand, an initiative connecting Indigenous artisans and weavers with contemporary designers and international audiences.

Another initiative, El Camino del Tiempo, is developing a network of hiking trails in the highlands of Quiché, creating opportunities for local guides, artisans and small businesses while introducing visitors to the region’s Indigenous heritage.

Whitbeck said community consultation is central to this approach.

Guatemala’s new 10-year sustainable tourism master plan was developed through nearly 70 workshops involving more than 2,000 participants, including community representatives, tourism businesses, academics and guides.

What about safety & overtourism?

During an audience Q&A, Whitbeck addressed two issues that frequently arise in travel advisor conversations: safety and overtourism.

On safety, he acknowledged that perceptions remain a challenge, but said tourist-related incidents are relatively limited.

Guatemala welcomed more than three million visitors last year, he said, with approximately 80 reported incidents involving tourists.

“We don’t deny the fact that Guatemala has security issues like many countries in the region, but I can tell you that the regions that are frequented by tourists are, in general, perfectly safe. The statistics prove that,” he said.

He highlighted ASISTUR, INGUAT’s tourism assistance program, which has provided round-the-clock visitor support for two decades.

Overtourism, meanwhile, is something Guatemala hopes to manage before it becomes a widespread problem.

“It’s not a problem, yet,” Whitbeck said. But he acknowledged that short-term rentals have contributed to rising housing costs in Antigua.

A proposed tourism law currently before Congress would modernize legislation dating back to 1967, well before Airbnb, online platforms and social media transformed the industry.

He said Guatemala’s preferred development model emphasizes smaller boutique properties rather than sprawling all-inclusive resorts, particularly in environmentally sensitive areas such as Lake Atitlán.

Prepare to be surprised

Asked what advice he would give Canadian travel advisors, the Tourism Minister encouraged them to appeal to clients with a sense of curiosity and adventure.

“Broaden your minds and prepare to be surprised because Guatemala is really, really surprising,” he told Travel Market Report Canada.

And while increasing arrivals is an obvious priority, Whitbeck offered a refreshingly simple definition of success.

“Success is having people come back and tell their families about what a great time they had,” he said. “It’s as simple as that.”