Canada’s tourism sector is poised for a banner year in 2026, with continued growth into 2035, according to Destination Canada, the national tourism organization.
Tourism spending is forecast to grow 6.0% in 2026, and total tourism revenue is projected to reach $216.3 billion by 2035, up 67% from 2024. The sector already supports one in 10 Canadian jobs, injects more than $364 million daily into communities, and output $32.7 billion toward municipal, provincial and federal tax revenue in 2024.
“Tourism is a high-growth export with fast returns,” said Marsha Walden, president and chief executive officer of Destination Canada. “The Canadian Tourism Outlook shows demand is accelerating, and the opportunity for Canada is even greater if we grow global market share and continue attracting more international demand.”
Domestic travel is giving the outlook an immediate lift: reshored spending is expected to add $1.5 billion in 2025, and $4.4 billion between 2025 and 2027.
Meanwhile the United States remains the largest inbound market, with U.S. spend forecast to grow 5.3% annually, and overseas markets are expected to grow 9.8% annually through 2035, roughly double the U.S. pace and improving diversification across seasons and source markets.
Business travel is one of the highest yields for Canadian tourism, with association events projected to reach 132% of 2019 levels by 2028, delegate volumes at 118%, and the federal International Convention Attraction Fund (ICAF) has helped secure 116 international events, generating more than $800 million in direct economic impact and supporting over 6,600 jobs.
Meanwhile the cruise sector has stabilized after the pandemic rebound. In 2025, 1,908,293 cruise passengers arrived at Canadian ports, essentially even with 2024 and well above 2019’s 1,452,447 passengers.
Top ports by passenger volume in 2025 were Victoria (959,114), Vancouver (533,311), Halifax/Dartmouth (149,926), and Saint John (135,261).
Arctic cruising is a growing niche with travellers, with 5,591 passengers visiting Arctic ports in 2025, up 27.0% from 2019. Passenger origins remain heavily U.S.‑weighted, with 80.0% of cruise visitors from the U.S. (1,525,661), 11.9% overseas residents (227,804), and 8.1% Canadian residents (154,828).
Canada’s rising nation‑brand rankings and targeted investments into high‑yield segments–domestic reshoring, higher‑yield air arrivals from the U.S., faster‑growing overseas markets, and business events–are helping to create a clear pathway to convert reputation into sustained tourism revenue and community benefits.
The stats point to record opportunities for growth: more visitors, higher per‑visitor returns, and stronger economic spillovers for host communities.
