TLN Canada Bids Goodbye to Christine James, Praises Canadian Resilience at Elevate Conference Debut

Canadian travellers are proving remarkably resilient in the face of political uncertainty, economic pressures and changing travel patterns, according to senior executives at Travel Leaders Network (TL Network).

Speaking at a press conference during the network’s inaugural two-day Elevate conference in Toronto, TL Network President Lindsay Pearlman and Christine James, retiring next week as Vice President, Canada, painted an optimistic picture of the Canadian travel market heading into 2027.

The executive said that despite geopolitical uncertainty, shifting destinations and higher travel costs, Canadian travellers continue to spend and TL Network’s travel advisor members continue to thrive. The message was clear: Canadians may be changing where they travel, but they aren’t giving up their vacations.

“Our volume is up, and we’ll finish this year up 10% year over year,” Pearlman said, referring to the network’s Canadian business. “And last year was a really good year.”

Part of Internova Travel Group, TL Network represents nearly 7,000 agency locations across the United States and Canada.

Travellers Are Shifting, Not Stopping

Pearlman said geopolitical events that once caused sharp declines in travel demand are increasingly prompting travellers to choose alternative destinations instead.

“What’s happening now is that that curve continues. It doesn’t really dip,” he said. “The consumer is saying ‘instead of travelling here, we’re travelling there.’ They’re just kind of shifting.”

That presents both opportunities and challenges for travel advisors, who must be prepared to recommend alternatives that deliver the experiences clients are seeking.

“It’s almost double the work,” Pearlman said, noting that a client considering Paris might instead look at Lisbon, requiring an advisor to understand the differences between the destinations.

The shift away from U.S. travel has been particularly significant for Canadians, although Pearlman suggested the decline may be slowly moderating.

He said destinations benefiting from changing Canadian travel preferences include Mexico, the Caribbean, Spain, Portugal and parts of South America.

“Instead of going to Florida for three or four weeks, they’re going to Costa Rica for two,” he said. “It may even cost them more money, but they’re still going.”

Pearlman also sees growing interest in less-visited European destinations, with travellers increasingly willing to look beyond traditional tourism hotspots.

Cuba’s Troubles Haven’t Stopped Sun Sales

James said the effective loss of Cuba as a major Canadian winter vacation destination has created a significant shift in sun travel bookings, but not necessarily a decline in revenue.

“We were really concerned. Cuba basically shut down. That was a huge part of our market,” she said.

However, the Dominican Republic and Mexico have benefited from displaced demand, with clients demonstrating a willingness to spend more on alternative destinations.

“What we’re seeing is the revenue is going up, even though we’ve lost Cuba completely,” James said.

Pearlman expressed hope that Cuba will eventually recover as a major Canadian vacation destination, while acknowledging the difficulties facing the country.

Meanwhile, he said the broader travel market remains healthy despite elevated prices and economic uncertainty.

“There’s still a market for travel. We all kind of sit there holding our breath and waiting for the shoe to drop, and it hasn’t.”

Luxury travel is performing particularly well, Pearlman said, growing at double-digit rates compared with single-digit growth in the much larger contemporary segment.

Cruising also continues to demonstrate strength across multiple categories, from contemporary ships to luxury vessels and superyachts.

Advance Bookings Point to Strong 2027

James said forward bookings for 2027 are encouraging, particularly in the mass-market segment that accounts for much of TL Network’s Canadian business.

She described advance business as growing beyond single digits and approaching double-digit territory, although some bookings could change before departure.

Another positive indicator is a lengthening booking window.

“The average booking window now has extended to like four or five months, which is kind of unheard of in that mass market,” James said.

She added that North American cruise bookings for 2027 are showing double-digit growth, while contemporary cruise pricing has remained firm, with year-over-year increases of approximately 3% to 5%.

The combination of longer booking windows, healthy advance sales and continued consumer spending is giving the network confidence heading into the winter season.

Elevate Canada Draws Record Attendance

The positive outlook provided a fitting backdrop for TL Network’s first Canadian Elevate conferences, which expanded the organization’s traditional one-day regional meetings into two-day events in Vancouver and Toronto offering more training, networking and supplier engagement.

The initiative was partly developed in recognition that some Canadian members were reluctant to travel to the United States for conferences.

Pearlman acknowledged that expanding the events represented a gamble, requiring significant investment from both the network and its supplier partners. But he says the results exceeded expectations.

Toronto attracted approximately 240 registered members and more than 100 supplier representatives, bringing total participation to nearly 350. Vancouver drew 175 members and approximately 65 to 70 suppliers.

“The results have been phenomenal,” Pearlman said, noting strong participation throughout the two-day program.

The conferences focused on two central priorities for advisors: generating additional revenue and improving operational efficiency.

Pearlman said the goal was to help members identify the tools and strategies that would deliver the greatest value for their individual businesses.

James emphasized the importance of delivering content specifically relevant to Canadian advisors, rather than simply replicating U.S. programming.

The network is also continuing to invest in technology and advisor tools, with an emphasis on training and adoption.

Despite the success of Elevate, Pearlman said Canadian participation in the network’s larger EDGE conference remains strong. The 2027 event in Cancun is already attracting significant interest.

An Emotional Farewell for Christine James

The Toronto conference marked the end of a long TL Network journey for James, who is retiring next week after 27 years with the organization.

A familiar and highly respected figure in the Canadian travel industry, James received a standing ovation from members during the Toronto event.

“I was just blown away,” she said. “I was trying to hold it together. I was not expecting that.”

James said the opportunity to say goodbye in person to longtime members in both Vancouver and Toronto had made her final weeks especially meaningful.

While acknowledging mixed emotions about leaving, she expressed confidence in the network’s future and the Canadian team she leaves behind.

“As I walk away, I feel confident,” she said, pointing to the company’s expanding programs, technology investments and management support.

Pearlman said there has been significant interest in the position, with the search for James’s successor underway.

For James, retirement will mean more time with family and friends, fewer early-morning departures and an opportunity to enjoy something that has been rare during her long career in travel.

“Actually travelling without a laptop,” she said with a laugh.

Visit TMR Canada’s Facebook page here to see more pictures from the event!