Canadian advisors see solid momentum heading into 2026, says ACTA president Suzanne Acton-Gervais
Break out the sun glasses – the future looks bright for Canadian travel advisors in the forward-looking view projected by ACTA.
That was the essence of the message by new ACTA president Suzanne Acton-Gervais, who presented a convincing keynote speech at the recent ACTA Summit in Vancouver. This was the second of three Summit stops, on a road show that started in Toronto and ended in Montreal on Oct. 1.
“So how are 2025 and 2026 shaping up? The signs are encouraging and our members and partners are reporting moderate to strong growth, even while economic uncertainty lingers,” said Acton-Gervais. She took the podium at the front of a sold-out room of travel advisors, numbering about 300 – the largest-ever turnout for the western edition of the ACTA Summit. They were joined by some 75 supplier partners, all of whom assembled at the River Rock Casino Resort in Richmond, BC.
“But here’s the headline,” said Acton-Gervais. “Canadians want to travel. They are prioritizing travel, and many indicators point to solid momentum heading into 2026. And that is very good news.”
The ACTA president – who was only about two months into her new job – reviewed some of the destination trends for Canadians, confirming “no surprise” that sun destinations lead the way and that Mexico and the Caribbean remain favourites. Europe also continues to thrive, offering the opportunity to book in the shoulder seasons for less crowds and better value.
Canadians further afield
Canadians displayed their desire to explore further afield, with more demand for Asian destinations such as Japan, Thailand and China, after a slow period in the post-pandemic years. “We’ve seen an 18% rise in bookings by Canadians to Southeast Asia as compared to last year.”
Many Canadians are not staying at home. They are traveling further, staying longer and seeking more immersive experiences. “And that is fantastic news for travel advisors,” she said. “It means Canadians need guidance for longer haul and more complex trips. That’s where your expertise is especially valuable.”
Also, no surprise in her destination review was the confirmation that travel to the U.S. is down a lot as compared to years past, while still accounting for a significant share of Canadian travel.
“But the winning destination, the number one destination for Canadians in 2025 is Canada,” said Acton-Gervais. “Domestic tourism is thriving and Canadians are rediscovering the beauty of our nation from coast to coast to coast.” This is creating powerful opportunities for both travel advisors and suppliers, she said.
Demographic opportunities
More opportunities are presented by understanding a few key demographic trends. For instance, high-value baby boomers are now enjoying their so-called “Go Years” – between the ages of 61 and 79. They are investing in bucket list trips and multi-generational experiences. And they value the services of a professional travel advisor.
Acton-Gervais described the Epic Retirement Club, with 500,000-plus international members (incl. Canadians) who are willing to budget between $20,000 and $30,000 per year for travelling, she said.
Another demographic worth watching for their travel habits and demands are Gen Xers in their 50s who are often at the peak of their careers, with strong financial resources and more time to travel, since their children are teens or young adults, she said. Solo women travellers in their 50s and 60s, who travel in groups to experience culture and wellness while enjoying safety in numbers, are another cohort.
And “bleisure” travellers, who combine their work trips with a leisure component, are especially attractive. “More than half of business travellers now extend their trips with a leisure add-on. That’s a huge number. And it’s a huge opportunity to curate those extra days for memorable, rewarding vacations.”
In 2024, business travel spending hit $36.5 billion, up 15% from 2023. In 2025, it is expected to reach $44.3 billion – another 18% increase. The reliance on trusted travel advisors to plan these trips presents a significant opportunity, she said.
Other predictions? Sun destination capacities will remain high, while Canadian airlines and tour operators continue to add seats to Mexico and the Caribbean for winter 2026. Also, Europe and Asia will sustain a steady demand, and shoulder season travel will remain attractive to baby boomers and travellers without children.
Notes of caution
Acton-Gervais cautioned that, “although Canadians have a strong desire to travel, consumer confidence has declined in 2025, weighed down by policy and tariff uncertainty.” But by 2027, conditions should stabilize, she said.
“Keep a watch on tariffs, US policy shifts, interest rates, airline capacity and global stability,” she suggested to her audience of travel advisors. Also, stay alert to shifting entry/exit requirements, electronic travel authorizations (ETAs), passport and visa rules.
“Protect clients with the correct travel insurance, it is critical. Your expertise cuts through the complexity and gives them peace of mind,” she said.
Hidden Gems of Europe
Lesser-known destination discoveries are trip incentives for some travellers, and Europe is richly endowed with those assets. Many advisors are eager to work with these travellers, and they packed a meeting room for a breakout session at the recent Summit to hear three DMC reps discuss the Hidden Gems of Europe.
This meshed nicely with the outlook from Spain, which recently launched a new campaign that focuses on the many hidden gems in the country. It is anchored by the tag line, “If you think you know Spain, think again.”
The striking, historic city of Cordoba gets some attention in the promo video, but so do smaller, lesser known centres such as Ronda and Jerez. “This is new tourism for Spain,” said Alegria Narvaez, the trade and travel manager for the Tourist Office of Spain.
Another such place is Castille de Léon in the north-western reaches of Spain, not far from Madrid. It is known for its art and architecture, including the Gothic 13th-century Catedral de Léon, with its towers and flying buttresses. Léon will serve as the host city for the upcoming ACTA International Destination Conference in late October.
“Spain is a country that has been influenced by many civilizations, and every single province is different from each other. There are 54 provinces, and none are alike,” said Narvaez.
The Tourist Office has changed the way it develops and designs fam trips, and there are now more opportunities to host travel advisors on fam trips to Spain, she said. “This is a huge opportunity for the advisors,” she said.
Powerful Portugal
Portugal was last year’s host of ACTA’s International Destination Conference, held in the Azores. It’s places like the Azores that inspire travellers and it is the job of travel advisors to provide these authentic and unique experiences to their clients, said Ines Almeida Garrett, director of Visit Portugal in Canada.
“It’s the emotions that they treasure, and it is the hidden gems that will give them the best experiences.” She highlighted the town of Tomar – an architectural jewel with ties to the Knights Templar in the 12th century – as a compelling place that is relatively undiscovered by visitors.
“We are one of the oldest countries in Europe, so we have a lot of heritage.” She described how Portuguese tourism authorities enacted a program to convert heritage buildings like monasteries into unique boutique hotels. “And this has been a great success for us, staying at one of these hotels takes you back in time, it’s a great experience,” said Garrett.
Eastern France
Alexandre Willmann, the marketing and sales director for the Eastern France Tourism Agency, described how the grand re-opening of the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris in Dec. 2024 after its fire restoration inspired a program to promote lesser known – but equally historic – cathedrals in his region.
For example, the city of Reims is home to Notre-Dame de Reims Cathedral, where all of France’s kings were crowned. Reims is known as the “coronation city” and its cathedral is regarded as the most important centre of French monarchical history. It thus meets/exceeds expectations as a hidden gem.
He also cautioned advisors that the down side of promoting hidden gems is that they won’t remain hidden for long. He pointed to efforts to promote the cities of Strasbourg and Colmar three decades ago, and how the number of hotel overnights had dramatically increased since then.
“The message here is to be very careful with selling these places, we have to think about how to ensure sustainability and how to preserve the local quality of life,” said Willmann.
Other Summit sessions
Attendees to the ACTA Summit took in other presentations, including a keynote address by Kerianne Wilson, Air Canada’s director of customer accessibility. She spoke on the importance of accessibility and the latest enhancements in air travel to meet those needs. Wilson provided valuable insights into the current landscape of accessible travel, highlighted innovative strategies and dedicated efforts, and placed these developments in the broader Canadian context. Advisors were left with knowledge and tools that are essential for offering better support to clients with disabilities.
In the afternoon, Summit attendees assembled for a Grand Tradeshow. There they met with key partners and encountered new suppliers, while also winning prizes ranging from travel vouchers to luxury getaways and exclusive experiences.
After the trade show, ACTA board member Mark Greenwood chaired a panel on how to build collaborative strategies for establishing a successful travel business. On the panel were travel leaders including McKenzie McMillan of The Travel Group, Cathy Larsen of Departures Travel, Karen Hardie of Virtuoso, Brian Robertson of Direct Travel and Mary Jane Hiebert of Oyster Travel.
