Reverse sales mission reinforces NYC's commitment to Canadian travel trade
New York City Tourism + Conventions reinforced its commitment to the Canadian travel trade with its recent reverse sales mission, which brought product buyers from across Canada to meet with local suppliers from April 29 – May 2.
Despite political tensions and economic uncertainty, the DMO underscored its unwavering welcome to Canadians and highlighted the human faces of tourism’s economic impact. Julie Coker, president and CEO, told Travel Courier, “Any stay starts with an invite — and the invitation is open. It is there, it has not changed. It may not be the narrative that Canadians are hearing right now as loudly as they should, but it is always there. We are always open and would love to have them come visit us.”
Ross Levi, executive director of the New York State Division of Tourism, echoed the sentiment by saying, “In New York State, we love Canada. We are proud to have Canada as our northern neighbour and the welcome mat is always out. Welcoming people is part of our DNA in New York. Hospitality is who we are.”
Travel partners “hopeful that things will progress positively”
Amid the challenges of selling U.S. travel in these times, reverse sales mission participants acknowledged difficulties but remained hopeful of future business returning to normal.
Robert Skoric, owner of bus tour operator Frenzy Tours, noted that the company is taking a break from U.S. groups until June 20.
For others, multiple stakeholders make the decision of traveling to the U.S. more complex. Ahmed Hassan, senior operations manager at student tour group operator EduTravel, told Travel Courier, “A lot of our decision-making is done by school board partners. Our U.S. sales volume has gone down and we have received a 10% increase in concerned calls about whether the tours are still proceeding.”
When asked about the impact on student group tours, Amy Cannon, director of membership & communications at the Student & Youth Travel Association (SYTA) said, “We are hopeful that things will progress positively. We are trying to maintain connections and advocate on behalf of our Canadian members. It seems like 2025 travel is still being executed, but where we are seeing the impact is 2026. The student cycles usually plan about 18 months in advance. Anecdotally, we’ve been hearing that everyone feels welcome and things have been seamless during travel.”
Meanwhile, Camille Houston of See Sight Tours, which focuses on small groups of eight with local guides, said, “We are definitely still sending people to the U.S. and are entering peak season. We have not experienced any issues and a 25% increase in sales is projected for this year.”
Porter Airlines, which has been operating from Newark Liberty International Airport since 2008, has also deepened its commitment to the NY/NJ market with the recent addition of up to 3x daily round-trip flights between Toronto Pearson and LaGuardia. Porter currently flies Toronto-City to Newark, Ottawa to Newark, Toronto-Pearson to LaGuardia, and will be adding Montreal to Newark this June. The new Pearson-LaGuardia route offers increased flexibility and convenience for passengers connecting through Porter’s expanding domestic network at Pearson: Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Saskatoon, Winnipeg and Vancouver.
Coker told Travel Courier, “The value proposition of New York City has not changed. You’re still going to see an amazing show that you can only see on Broadway, you’re still going to get a plethora of restaurant choices. We still have amazing artists and musicians that will play in some of our infamous nightclubs. The warmth and sincerity of New Yorkers is still there. All of the ties that bind us are still there. That hasn’t changed about New York. A stroll in Central Park is still a stroll in Central Park.”
She concluded, “That’s what we would like travel agents to continue to say: that the New York you have come to know and love is still the same New York.”
Putting the new in New York
There is no shortage of updates for travellers to experience on their next trip.
2025 marks the 400th anniversary of New York City, while 2026 will be the 250th anniversary of the United States of America. To celebrate, New York City Tourism + Conventions, in partnership with Hamilton, will host Founded by NYC, a year of special events, tours and sights that highlight innovation in New York City.
Sports will be a feature in the coming years, with the FIFA World Cup being held between June 13 – July 19, 2026 in New York and New Jersey. The United States Golf Open will take place from June 18 – 21, 2026, while the Ryder Cup will be held from September 22 – 28, 2025.
New and renovated museums include the immersive Mercer Labs Museum of Art & Technology, the newly reopened Frick Collection, the fall 2025 reopening of the Studio Museum in Harlem and the Bronx’s Hip Hop Museum opening in 2026.
Other exciting updates include the reopening of the Waldorf Astoria, the new Planet Hollywood dining space in Times Square and the new flagship store of Danish fashion brand Ganni.
Vibrancy programs returning this year include Restaurant Week from July 21 – August 17, Broadway Week in September/October and It’s Time for Culture in October.
Travel trade resources
Travel advisors can become destination specialists through the Travel Trade Academy and enjoy travel trade-exclusive discounts with the NYC Tourism Pass.
The newly launched AI chat platform, Ellis, is now available for MICE and group tour planners, while the consumer-facing Libby platform will be released later this year.
Advisors can also visit nyctourism.com for access to a Halal travel guide, accessible NYC travel guide, neighbourhood guides highlighting minority-owned businesses and more.
