Come On Down: San Francisco Hosts Canadian Trade Partners & Event Planners

In what it calls a strategic departure from traditional international sales missions, the San Francisco Travel Association recently completed its first Hosted Canada Mission. 

Instead of coming to Canada, the event brought representatives of the Canadian travel market directly to the iconic California city ahead of the 2026 spring and summer travel season. 

San Francisco Travel rolled out the red carpet to renew confidence in the destination during a four-day immersion for Canadian partners. By bringing delegates directly to the city, San Francisco sought to position itself as open, evolving, and ready to welcome Canadian visitors. 

Canadian travel trade partners, event planners, and media experienced the city’s latest evolutions firsthand. Delegates were officially welcomed by leading tourism executives, as well as representatives from the San Francisco International Airport and local hotel and attraction partners.

Canadian attendees were immersed in the destination through a cross-city tour, culinary experiences and behind-the-scenes tours of cultural attractions. Curated experiences brought Canadian partners in direct contact with local stakeholders and the tourism community to strengthen their ties to the destination. 

“Canadians have been an important part of our tourism economy for decades, and this mission was our way of building on the longstanding ties between us,” said Anna Marie Presutti, San Francisco Travel’s President & CEO. 

“We didn’t just want to tell the Canadian market that San Francisco is ready to welcome them; we wanted them to feel the energy and vibrancy of the city for themselves.”

One mission attendee, Ian Elliott, Vice President, Destination & Specialty at Ensemble Travel (who has since returned to former employer TravelOnly) highlighted the value of the programming, saying: 

“The San Francisco mission came at an important time for the Canadian market. What stood out was the openness of dialogue and the clear commitment to welcoming Canadian travellers through strong engagement with the advisor community.”

Elliott added: “For Ensemble and our member agencies, that level of partnership matters. The focus on differentiated, experience-driven product, from neighbourhoods to culinary to curated off-sites, reinforces San Francisco’s ability to stand apart in a competitive landscape.”

“San Francisco’s warm welcome starts the moment travellers land, with thoughtful amenities, inspiring artwork, and sustainable design channeling the city’s spirit,” said San Francisco International Airport Director, Mike Nakormkhet. 

“SFO is the global gateway to Northern California, and we were thrilled to brief our Canadian partners on the latest developments in our vision of an extraordinary airport experience.”