Brand USA to bring flagship travel event to Canada for first time

Brand USA is bringing its signature Travel Week event to Canada for the first time this fall, as the U.S. destination marketing organization looks to strengthen ties with one of its most important international source markets.

Brand USA Travel Week Canada will take place Oct. 26-29, 2026, with events in Toronto and Montreal.

The new event replaces the organization's longstanding Canada Connect program, bringing its Canadian trade and media engagement under the global Brand USA Travel Week banner.

The expansion marks the latest step in Brand USA's strategy to deepen relationships with Canadian travel advisors, tour operators, destinations and media, while encouraging more Canadians to visit the United States.

“Canada has always been essential to the United States’ travel economy, and the expansion of Brand USA Travel Week deepens our engagement with partners in the market who help shape travel decisions every day,” said Fred Dixon, president and CEO of Brand USA, in a press release. “By bringing our signature event to Canada, we’re aligning our engagement under one unified platform to strengthen collaboration and keep the United States top of mind for Canadian travellers.”

Brand USA Travel Week now spans several international markets, including the U.K. and Europe, India, South America and, now, Canada.

The Canadian launch follows Brand USA's recent expansion into other priority international markets.

Earlier this year, the organization introduced Brand USA Travel Week in India, the United States' third-largest overseas source market, and launched Brand USA Travel Week South America in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Canada still a priority market

Despite ongoing challenges affecting cross-border travel, Brand USA says Canada remains one of the United States' most valuable international visitor markets, supported by close geographic, cultural and economic ties.

According to Tourism Economics, Canadian visitation to the United States is projected to reach 16.7 million in 2026, up 4.4 per cent from an estimated 16 million in 2025.

The organization also pointed to encouraging signs of recovery, noting that preliminary May figures showed overnight land arrivals from Canada increased 11 per cent year over year — the first positive year-over-year growth in land crossings in some time.

While air arrivals remain slightly below last year's levels, combined drive and fly arrivals are expected to return to positive growth.

“Canadian travellers know the United States well, but there is still tremendous opportunity to inspire new trips, new itineraries, and new reasons to visit,” said Malcolm Smith, senior vice president, global markets and chief trade and product development officer at Brand USA, in a statement. “Travel Week Canada will give U.S. destinations a focused platform to connect directly with Canadian buyers and media, share what is new across the country, and build the partnerships that support future visitation.

The four-day program will feature pre-scheduled appointments between U.S. exhibitors and Canadian travel trade professionals and media, along with networking events and market insights.

A CEO roundtable will also bring together senior leaders from the U.S. and Canadian travel industries to discuss opportunities to strengthen collaboration and drive future visitation to the United States.

In addition, a dedicated media program, held in partnership with Discover America Canada on Oct. 28, will connect Canadian travel journalists with U.S. destinations and tourism partners while highlighting new story opportunities across the country.

Brand USA said the dual-city format reflects the importance of engaging both English- and French-speaking travel partners across Canada.

Registration for Brand USA Travel Week Canada is now open. Click here for more info.

Don't miss a single travel story: subscribe to PAX today!  Click here to follow PAX on Facebook.