TORONTO — Not only is Canadian tourism to the United States good business, it’s also big business.

Some 22.7 million Canadians are expected to visit the U.S. this year, with combined travel spending expected to exceed US$18.2 billion, according to U.S. Consul General Baxter Hunt.

U.S. Consul General Baxter Hunt; VoX International President and Discover America – Canada President Susan Webb; Chris Alexander, Commercial Officer, U.S. Consulate in Toronto

“Canadian travel has bounced back and Canadians are eager to discover new destinations,” said Hunt yesterday at Discover America Canada’s breakfast get-together.

The event served as a kick-off for the annual Discover America Day – Canada, held at Arcadian Loft in downtown Toronto. The media event brings consumer and trade writers together with reps from U.S. tourism boards, attractions and more.

Said Hunt: “When Canadians travel to the U.S., they are deepening the people-to-people ties between our two countries, which is one of the great objectives that we have as a U.S. mission to Canada. They’e also contributing to the U.S. economy and Canadian tourism to the United States, which as you know is big business for the U.S. destinations present here today. It’s a wise decision to invest your promotional dollars in the Canadian market, as it represents the largest source of us tourism revenues.”

Hunt noted that Canadians are experienced U.S. travellers, and they often visit multiple locations.

According to recent data, 45% of Canadians travel to two or three cities per trip, and 11% of them travel to four or more cities. “Canadians take advantage of the proximity and ease of travel between our two nations and our US destinations,” he said.

Canada has more direct, nonstop flights to the United States than any other country, he added, plus LCCs have helped expand routes to new U.S. destinations.

Not only that, but the experience of flying to the U.S. has never been easier thanks to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Pre-Clearance program, Hunt noted.

CBP currently operates within eight Canadian airports with newly announced plans for expansion to Billy Bishop Airport (YTZ).

“Once operational, pre-clearance at Billy Bishop will enable direct routes to more U.S. airports such as LaGuardia and Reagan National. This is an addition to the pre-clearance benefits of travelling through Pearson Airport, which ranks among the top U.S. ports of entry with more than 6 million U.S.-bound passengers annually,” said Hunt.

Pearson Airport also ranked first internationally in the use of mobile passport control, a free mobile app that expedites clearance.

At Discover America Day – Canada, Travelweek met with many tourism boards from across the U.S., to find out all the latest updates.

Here’s a look …

EXPERIENCE KISSIMMEE

Experience Kissimmee is rightly proud of the destination’s reputation as Vacation Home Capital of the World. Kissimmee has close to 50,000 vacation home options, ranging from two-bedroom cottages to 14-bedroom mega-mansions. Travel advisors can book directly through the company itself (for example, Reunion Resort Vacation Rentals) or tour operators.

In addition to perennial favourites like Walt Disney World Resort and Universal Resort Orlando, visitors to the Kissimmee area can look forward to Everest Place, slated to open in 2026 with shopping, dining and hotels including a Nickelodeon hotel and North America’s first-ever Mysk hotel, among others.

ExperienceKissimmee.com

Experience Kissimmee

HAWAII TOURISM AUTHORITY

Maui is on its way back, said VoX International’s Colin Wood. Stats from OTAs indicate that searches for Maui are up, always a good sign. “The Maui price point is still what it is. It’s not like the rates came down significantly,” said Wood. More details about Maui in Travelweek’s coverage of HTA’s recent event in Toronto can be found here.

GoHawaii.com

SANTA MONICA TRAVEL & TOURISM

The brand new 167-key Regent Santa Monica Beach Hotel brings a luxe offering to the California hot spot, said Sana Keller, Director of Public Relations, Santa Monica Travel & Tourism – Canada Office. Rooms and suites start at an incredible 720 square feet.

Meanwhile the Sandbourne Santa Monica, Autograph Collection, with 175 rooms, opened this past summer with unique experiential offerings including ceramics classes.

Many of Santa Monica’s hotels are offering packages for Cirque du Soleil’s KOOZA, now back at the city’s famous pier for performances through January 2025. It’s a full circle moment for the blue and yellow big top, as Santa Monica was on Cirque du Soleil’s very first U.S. tour in 1987.

Speaking of Santa Monica’s best-known landmark, ‘Cheer on the Pier’ is a holiday offering taking place Nov. 21 – Dec. 19. “For Canadians who happen to be in the Santa Monica area during the holidays, that’s something that’s really nice to see,” said Keller.

SantaMonica.com

TRAVEL NEVADA

New airline service with Porter Airlines to Las Vegas starts Nov. 1 from Ottawa and Nov. 2 from Montreal. The new routes follow Porter’s rollout earlier this year of new flights to Vegas from Toronto.

Heather McGillivray, representing Travel Nevada, noted that while Las Vegas draws the majority of Nevada visitors from Canada, there’s so much more to explore in The Silver State.

Known as the ‘Road Trip Capital of the U.S.’, Nevada offers everything from the ‘Cowboy Corridor’ along I-80, to ‘Death Valley Rally’, ‘Rubies Route’ and ‘Loneliest Road in America.’

For Nevada road trip newbies, McGillivray suggested ‘Neon to Nature’, offering a choice of three day trip options out of Las Vegas.

Nevada also offers training for travel advisors. “That’s a huge way for agents to differentiate themselves if they know about other offerings in Nevada [besides Las Vegas],” said McGillivray.

Here’s something agents (and clients) might not know: Nevada is the most mountainous state in the lower 48. “You can ski 45 minutes out of Las Vegas,” said McGillivray.

TravelNevada.com

Travel Nevada

COLORADO & DENVER

You’ll be seeing more from Colorado in the months to come as the state gets ready to target Canadian travellers looking for winter getaway ideas.

“Our Canadian growth is quite high. We have never had the budget until now, for promotional efforts, especially for winter travel because it always sold itself. You’ll see consumer campaigns starting in 2025-26,” said Annika Klint, representing the Colorado Tourism Office – Canada.

“We hear many Canadians saying, I’ve skied Ontario, I’ve skied B.C., now let’s go somewhere else,” said Klint. Sports travel is a huge trend for the state, she added.

Denver is a wonderful starting off point because the Rocky Mountains are “right on your doorstep. It’s a great city plus nature option.”

Colorado & Denver

VISIT ORLANDO 

There’s never a dull moment in Orlando. That’s especially true now, with Universal Epic Universe scheduled to debut May 22, 2025, plus the massive expansion underway across Walt Disney World Resort.

The Florida favourite saw 25% year-over-year growth in 2023 vs. 2022, with 1.2 million Canadian visitors, the most ever. A big segment of the Canadian market is AWOK (adults without kids). Family travel is Orlando’s bread and butter but AWOK is strong and growing.

VisitOrlando.com

Visit Orlando

VISIT DETROIT

Anyone who last saw Detroit even a decade ago would be amazed at the rehabilitation of this historic gem.

Glittering renovations like Michigan Central are emblematic of the city’s dedication to getting back on its feet, says Visit Detroit’s Meg Griffith.

Formerly Detroit’s long-abandoned train station, thanks to a six-year renovation by the Ford Motor Company, Michigan Central is now a stunning 30-acre tech and culture hub. “Ford Motor Company owns the building and they were dedicated to restoring it to its original grandeur,” said Griffith.

Another high-profile renovation, Hudson’s Detroit, is a mixed-use project right on Woodward Avenue that will have office space for General Motors as well as retail and a luxury hotel.

Also notable? Last year Detroit saw its first population increase since 1957. The buzz in the city is palpable not just for visitors but locals too.

VisitDetroit.com

Visit Detroit

ELITE SPORTS TOURS

After championing (and selling) sports travel for 17 years, Elite Sports Tours’ CEO Tim Macdonell is suddenly at the centre of one of the biggest trends in travel.

“You’ve got to be patient,” said Macdonell about sports travel’s slow but steady rise. He founded his sports travel enterprise in 2008 and recently added concert ticket packages too.

Sports travel has soared in popularity, and many travellers are willing to pay top dollar for tickets to see their favourite teams play in a top travel destination as part of a package with hotel, airfare and more.

One of Elite Sports Tours’ clients paid US$15,000 for a package to see Game 3 of the current World Series in New York City, with tickets, hotel and more. “This is something they’ve built up for an entire lifetime. It was an experience, he took his whole family,” said Macdonell.

Watch for more details about Elite Sports Tours’ travel advisor portal in an upcoming edition of Travelweek Daily.

EliteSportsTours.ca

Elite Sports Tours

TRAVEL TEXAS

Canada is the #2 international market for Texas. In 2023, more than 582,000 Canadians went to Texas, a 23% increase year over year, said Rosalyn Hunter representing Travel Texas – Canada.

New for 2024, The MICHELIN Guide is expanding to Texas. This past summer, MICHELIN Guide inspectors were in Texas dining across the state. An official ceremony in Houston will take place Nov. 11, where MICHELIN will announce the selections of the restaurants. Texas is home to award-winning barbecue, locally sourced seafood and steaks, and savory Tex-Mex, plus plenty more.

The MICHELIN Guide also announced its first MICHELIN Keys for Texas. A number of hotels in Austin, Dallas, El Paso, Fort Worth, Galveston, Houston and San Antonio were awarded MICHELIN Keys.

TravelTexas.com

Travel Texas

VISIT VIRGINIA BEACH

Virginia Beach is “halfway to Florida, and three hours south of DC,” said Erin Goldmeier, Director of PR for Visit Virginia Beach.

Goldmeier ticked off the big draws for visitors: “Culinary, history, outdoors, beaches.” Hiking, biking and walking trails are all popular for visitors, she added. “We have tons of outdoor space.”

There’s also whale watching, kayaking with dolphins (“very popular”) and surfing lessons. Atlantic Surf Park, billed as the world’s largest surf park and built to the tune of US$350 million, is scheduled to open its first phase in June 2025. Atlantic Surf Park will be home to a two-acre wave lagoon surrounded by restaurants, shops, a performance venue for up to 5,000 and more.

VisitVirginiaBeach.com