Canada’s Rising Reputation Expected to Accelerate Tourism Growth

Destination Canada says Canada’s tourism sector is entering a promising 2026 with tourism revenue outpacing the broader economy. 

Partly driving that optimistic outlook is the fact that Canada’s rising reputation for stability and openness is emerging as a powerful competitive advantage. Canada ranks #1 in RepCore Nations 2025, tied with Switzerland, and #3 in the 2025 Anholt Nation Brand Index. Destination Canada’s brand platform, Canada, naturally, is designed to build on that strength and help convert reputation into travel demand.

According to the tourism promotion organization’s Canadian Tourism Outlook 2026–2035, Canada is in the race to seize a greater share of the USD $2.1 trillion global market for international visitor spending.

The Canadian tourism sector celebrated a record 2025 summer, and this momentum looks set to continue through 2026 and beyond. The outlook forecasts tourism spending in Canada will expand by 6.0% in 2026, ahead of the 5.4% projected in previous outlooks.

“Tourism is a high-growth export with fast returns,” said Marsha Walden, President and CEO of Destination Canada. “The Canadian Tourism Outlook shows demand is accelerating, and the opportunity for Canada is even greater if we grow global market share and continue attracting more international demand.”

Tourism already ranks among Canada’s top service exports. The sector supports one in 10 Canadian jobs, injects more than $364 million daily into communities across the country, and returned $32.7 billion in municipal, provincial and federal tax revenue in 2024.

Drivers of Growth

• Canadians are increasingly choosing to travel at home, with reshored spending expected to add $1.5 billion in 2025 and $4.4 billion between 2025 and 2027, giving the national outlook an immediate lift across Canada.
• The United States remains Canada’s tourism cornerstone and largest international market, unmatched in scale, with total US spend forecast to grow 5.3% annually as higher-yield air arrivals outpace land and sea travel.
• Overseas markets are the sector’s export acceleration engine, forecast to grow 9.8% annually through 2035, roughly double the US pace, strengthening diversification across markets, seasons and sources of demand.