Declining U.S. travel drives TLN to create Canada-based conference; sales rise 20%

Declining sentiment toward U.S. travel, coupled with currency challenges related to the U.S. dollar, has prompted Travel Leaders Network (TLN) to launch a new conference series in Canada.

Next year, the network will host two events, exclusively for Canadian travel advisors, in Vancouver and Toronto that will span two full days.

Called “Ignite Canada,” the new format will replace the organization’s Regional events, which traditionally consisted of three one-day programs held in Vancouver, Toronto, and alternating between Edmonton and Calgary.

Speaking with trade media Thursday (Oct. 30) at the Pearson Convention Centre, where TLN’s Toronto Regional event unfolded, welcoming 230 members and 64 supplier booths, Christine James, vice president for Canada, said “Ignite” will be like “a mini Edge.”

Edge is TLN’s annual mega-conference for advisors across the U.S. and Canada, rotating each year among host cities, which, in recent years, have included Las Vegas, National Harbour (Maryland), Nashville and Orlando.

Canada-based Ignite, which will be filled with workshops, presentations and networking sessions, was designed not only to bring TLN’s programming closer to home, but to also reflect the current geopolitical and economic climate.

VIDEO: Travel Leaders’ “Edge” kicks off in Vegas, Christine James “blown away” by 2026 sales

“Members were asking for an expanded event,” James said. “Because of the situation in the U.S. – people not wanting to go – we want to offer access for members locally.”

This year’s Edge conference in Las Vegas, which PAX covered on location in June, saw a decent amount of Canadian travel advisors (some 150) attend.

But amid the turbulence of U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff policies and 51st state rhetoric, the Canadian attendance did not reach its full potential.

On January 30 of this year—before the trade war fully took hold—Canadian registrations for Edge in Las Vegas had surpassed 200, James said. But then cancellations came rolling in. 

Currency exchange considerations, including the need for more affordable options, also played a role in the creation of Ignite.

READ MORE: On Location: “A synergy that works”: Canadian travel pros sound off on TLN’s “Edge” in Vegas

“We feel we can increase the numbers because it's in Canadian dollars,” James said, noting that the team is negotiating special hotel rates, and air fares, for members in Canada who’ll need to travel longer distances to attend Ignite.

In Vancouver, Ignite Canada will take place Oct. 21-22, 2026, at a to-be-determined venue.

In Toronto, the conference will run Oct. 28-29, 2026, at the Pearson Convention Centre, which has successfully accommodated the growth of TLN’s regional event.

Meanwhile, the network’s seasonal mini-events – the “Mixers,” which visit multiple cities in Western and Eastern Canada – will continue, ensuring members and key supplier partners have face-to-face time.

Edge 2026, set for May 3–6 at the Gaylord Pacific Resort & Convention Centre in San Diego, will remain open to Canadian advisors.

It will continue to offer the same Canada-focused events and training as in previous years, said Lindsay Pearlman, president of Travel Leaders, who also present yesterday.  

Elaborating on the need for a Canada-based conference, Pearlman acknowledged that “there's a lot of people that, as of right now, aren't comfortable travelling to the U.S.” – including Canadian travel advisors, who are “consumers like anybody else.”

“We can either ignore it and tell people, ‘Oh, you're crazy. It will be fine,’ which is not the route to go. Or be cognizant of what their needs and concerns are, and say, ‘Look, we have a platform that works well. We're going to expand it and provide you with content that you’ll get at Edge – without having to leave the country.”

The overall sense is that the TLN team recognizes that geopolitical tensions affecting U.S. travel are likely to persist for some time.

“We can ride it out, which to a certain degree, we'll all do, because it impacts every single one of us in this room. But we also want to adapt to the needs of our Canadian members,” Pearlman said.

TLN’s double-digit growth

That doesn’t mean Canadians aren’t travelling. TLN’s Canadian numbers are up “significantly,” James said, sharing that business for 2026 is up 20 per cent year-over-year.

One trend the team has noticed is the disappearance of the mid-range booking window.

“People are feeling confident now,” James said. “They’re travelling within the next month or next two months. We’re seeing growth in that.”

What’s driving Canadian sales?

Luxury (inclusive of high-end hotels and cruises) is leading the segment, followed by river cruises, land vacations and “contemporary” travel (such as mass-market cruises).

In Canada, TLN’s combined land and cruise sales are up nine per cent over last year; cruise (luxury, river and contemporary) is up 14 per cent; while land (packages, touring and FIT) is up 33 per cent.

If we’re talking just cruise sales for 2025, luxury is up 26 per cent; premium, 13 per cent; contemporary, eight per cent; and river cruise, 22 per cent. Theme parks, meanwhile, sit at 13 per cent.

For 2026, TLN Canada’s sun bookings are up 20 per cent, while luxury cruises are up 19 per cent; premium, by 35 per cent; and river cruise, by 23 per cent (year over year).

Domestic sales are also up, but it’s not as significant given that many Canadians tend book their own trips within Canada, the team said.

The geopolitical conflict with the U.S. hasn’t deterred Canadians from travelling – they’re just seeking alternatives to U.S. destinations, Pearlman said.

“One thing we've been counselling advisors about is to be aware of non-traditional products around you,” he said. “You have to redirect customers to something that they feel comfortable and safe with.”

As for navigating potential economic headwinds, Pearlman, who was named president of Travel Leaders Network in June, shared a practical outlook.

“Give me a year where we haven't had those same issues. There's always something,” he said.

SNAP to it

This year, TLN Canada welcomed 33 new members—agencies of varying sizes and models, bringing its total membership (in Canada) to over 500.

Members have had access to upgraded tools like TLN’s SNAP, a user-friendly platform designed to streamline flight, hotel, and car rental bookings.

Launched in April 2024, SNAP provides an accessible option for independent contractors who may not have GDS experience.

For Canadian members, the platform started with hotel and car rental access, but then expanded to air this past summer.

SNAP is now loaded with more than 100 airline partners, many of which pay commissions.

“We have up to 3,000 agents using SNAP on a regular basis,” Pearlman said. “Our total sales are ahead of where we thought it would be.”  

SNAP is also about getting more advisors on board (and comfortable) with selling air.

There’s a “stickiness” factor that comes into play when agents book air for clients, Pearlman explained (meaning, customers are less likely to cancel when they’re offered a full service).

“At the end of the day, you want to formulate that relationship, right? You want that loyalty, and part of that is saying, ‘Don't worry about your trip. I'll take care of all the components,’” Pearlman said.

Additionally, Social Share Pro, a tool that helps members develop and enhance their social media presence, is also now available in Canada.

Pearlman’s biggest fear

TLN has also launched a new AI Division, a group that is solely dedicated to advancing the network into a new era of using artificial intelligence.

Which is both exciting…and scary. One of Pearlman’s biggest fears these days isn’t AI itself, or the idea that it might one day replace travel advisors.

Instead, his worry lies with how people use AI—carelessly, spreading incorrect information (like a travel itinerary that’s full of mistakes) and taking risky shortcuts.

Still, even as a “Google on steroids,” as Pearlman describes it, AI remains a powerful productivity tool—one that agents cannot afford to overlook.

“You're not going to lose business to AI,” he said. “You'll lose business to somebody who's using AI.”

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