Canada is Having a Moment: Nation Earned Several Global Accolades This Year
by Bruce Parkinson
Domestic travel is way up for the 2025/2026 holiday season.
Canada has been named among the Top 10 Countries in the World in the 2025 Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards, one of the most respected accolades in global travel.
Each year, the travel publication invites hundreds of thousands of readers to rate their favourite destinations across the globe. In the 2025 rankings, Canada earned the #10 spot, a recognition that celebrates both the country’s breathtaking landscapes and the warmth of its people.
Other parts of the country were recognized in categories like “Best Airport,” where Vancouver’s YVR ranked #10 and “Best Small Cities,” where Victoria, BC ranked #1 for the third year running.
Tourism marketing organization Destination Canada says this recognition joins a wave of 2025 accolades, among them Most Loved Country in the World in the Country RepTrak report (where Canada tied for #1 with Switzerland), reflecting our natural beauty, safety, and welcoming spirit.
Canada also snagged three of the top five spots on North America’s 50 Best Restaurants list including Mon Lapin (Montréal, Québec), Restaurant Pearl Morissette (Lincoln, Ontario) and Tanière3 (Québec City, Québec).
“Travellers today are craving what’s real; experiences that build compassion, spark belonging, and remind us of what we share,” says Gloria Loree, SVP, Marketing Strategy & Chief Marketing Officer at Destination Canada.
“For Americans, Canada offers exactly that. It’s a place that welcomes you in, leaves a lasting mark, and sends you home seeing the world and one another a little differently.”

From Destination Canada’s perspective, here are a few of the top attributes of the destination:
- A welcome that feels personal. In Canada, kindness isn’t a gesture, it’s a way of life. Conversations come easily, and visitors feel like neighbours from the moment they arrive.
- A culture open to many stories. Canada’s identity is woven from many threads – Indigenous, French, English, and global — blending into a mosaic that shows up in every neighbourhood, market, and festival.
- Cities in harmony with nature. From Montréal’s creative spirit to Vancouver’s coastal calm, Canadian cities invite exploration while keeping nature close at hand.
- Room to breathe. Towering peaks, quiet forests, and endless skies remind travellers to slow down, recharge, and reconnect with the world around them.
- Moments that can’t be staged. Whether sparked by a shared meal, a starlit sky, or an unexpected act of generosity, the experiences in Canada linger – leaving travelers more open, grounded, and inspired.





