Gaining Confidence, Authentic Storytelling, & Other Insights from TMP Toronto 2026

Travel Market Report held its signature event, Travel Market Place (TMP), once again this week, marking the 12th and largest-ever edition of the leading travel trade show in Canada. 

The Toronto edition, which follows editions in Vancouver and Montreal earlier this year, welcomed 600-plus travel advisors and more than 100 suppliers, making it the largest TMP ever in the conference’s history — a milestone not just for TMP but for the Ontario advisor community. 

“It’s always so incredible to see the industry come together in Toronto,” Brian Israel, SVP and publisher of TMR, said on Tuesday. “We started TMP in Toronto more than a decade ago, and to see the same faces here, and to welcome new faces, year after year is always so humbling. Our mission is to help the Ontario travel advisor community thrive, and we’re hoping the ripple effect from the connections and education at TMP lasts all the way to next year.

The conference kicked off on Tuesday morning with a keynote by Jon Montgomery, Canadian gold medalist and host of The Amazing Race Canada. He spoke to advisors about building confidence and working towards a goal, stressing the importance of finding community as part of this process. 

Montgomery urged advisors to be bold, encouraging them to chase their goals, no matter how difficult it may seem. 

“If you think and believe something is impossible, then it is impossible,” he said. “Taking that first step towards something is always the most difficult part.” 

Aside from Montgomery, Tuesday’s program included business-building, peer-to-peer content that TMP is known for. Breakout sessions covered topics such as effective upselling tips, how to perfect one’s elevator pitch, traveler insights from TICO, and pivoting one’s business to be more profitable.

Bruce Parkinson, the senior editorial director of TMR Canada, took to the stage to moderate a panel on experiential travel. Joined by advisors Frances Gertsch (Stewart Travel Group), Camille Wilson (Adventures with Camille), and Scott Constance (Onvigo), the panel explored the benefits of experiential travel, whether that’s staying off the smartphone during travel, or being a participant rather than an observer of another culture.

“It’s not just about going to the place, but about what you’ll feel while you’re there,” explained Wilson.

Attendees also heard a presentation on “The Art of Storytelling,” given by keynote speaker Angela Weir. An advisor for more than 15 years, Weir discussed how her background in theatre, performing arts, and improvisation has helped her excel in travel sales through authentic and compelling storytelling.

The travel advisor business is a relationship business, and stories are a core part of relating to others’ experiences. Weir’s advice included connecting with others through finding common ground, inviting audiences into the story so you’re talking with them, not at them, and creating a story bank to draw from when meeting with clients.

The “universal truth,” said Weir, is that the “best stories are human stories.”

The day’s general session ended with a luxury-focused final panel hosted by Laura Ratliff, managing editor of TMR sister site Luxury Travel Report. Titled “Turning Cruise Skeptics Into Luxury Cruise Clients,” the panel featured expertise from the luxury cruise sector, including Shirley Lew (Oceania Cruises), Amelie Dubois (Regent Seven Seas Cruises), Patricia Di Benedetto (Explora Journeys), and Carolina Suarez (Silversea).

TMP Toronto continues tomorrow, with more general sessions, breakout workshops, and a trade show. The next conference, TMP Calgary, will be held from Sept. 15 to 16, 2026, at Grey Eagle Resort.