Canada Boosts MICE Market with $15M Funding Announcement

The Canadian government is giving its MICE market a boost with the announcement of $15 million over three years for the International Convention Attraction Fund (ICAF).

The funding announcement was made last week by The Honourable Rechie Valdez, Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism) who was joined by dignitaries including Marsha Walden, President and CEO of Destination Canada (DC).

The ICAF is administered by DC and aims to enhance the competitiveness of Canadian destinations to attract high-value international events.

“Canada has what the world wants: dynamic cities, world-class venues and unforgettable experiences,” said Valdez. “When we attract major international events, we bring high-value visitors to our communities who stay in our hotels, eat in our restaurants, shop at local businesses and support good jobs. This investment will help more Canadian destinations compete and win on the global stage, while boosting local economies and strengthening Canada’s tourism sector year-round.”

The 116 major international events secured through ICAF so far include:

• 2025 International Symposium on Avian Influenza, St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador
• 2025 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference, Toronto, Ontario
• 2027 World Road Congress, Vancouver, British Columbia
• 2028 World Conference on Earthquake Engineering, Montréal, Quebec
• 2028 International Geological Congress, Calgary, Alberta

“Tourism is a key economic driver and one of Canada’s top service exports. Business events are a core part of that,” said Walden. “The previous federal investment through the International Convention Attraction Program delivered exceptional results, achieving a 20:1 return on investment and generating over $800 million in economic impact across the country.

With Canada’s global reputation riding high, the new investment allows us to seize this moment to increase our market share of international business events. At a time when global collaboration is essential to addressing complex challenges–such as in life sciences and agri-tech innovation–business events play a critical role in connecting ideas, people and investment, while supporting Canada’s trade diversification priorities.”

Canada’s tourism sector supports more than 2.1 million jobs and strengthens local communities. In 2025, tourism generated $133 billion in visitor spending, supporting over 280,000 businesses in 5,000 communities. With revenues projected to grow to $177 billion by 2030, tourism is a key economic driver and one of Canada’s top service exports, having the potential to contribute up to 10% to Canada’s $300 billion trade diversification goal.

Travellers attending business events and conferences spend roughly double what leisure travellers spend.