Destination Canada aims to grow tourism by $30 billion over 10 years

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s ambitious goal to increase Canada’s non-U.S. exports to $300 billion over the next decade can get a huge boost from tourism, according to Destination Canada CEO Marsha Walden.  Call it the ten percent solution.

Addressing the 2025 Tourism Congress in Ottawa, Walden told delegates that with the use of new technologies, enhanced partnerships and the right government policies and support, tourism is ready and able to generate an additional $30 billion dollars in foreign revenue by 2035.

The potential for growth is substantial. Between May and August 2025, tourism contributed a record $60 billion, with approximately $45 billion originating from Canadian travellers. Additionally, spending by overseas visitors increased by 10.4 percent.

Canada is well positioned to capitalize on its recent progress, aligning with government objectives to boost non-U.S. exports, economic growth, and opportunity. Walden noted, “Tourism growth is surpassing overall economic performance.”

She highlighted that tourism offers a rapid return on investment, making it an effective solution for regions nationwide. Further, Ms. Walden reported that 89 percent of Canadian regions experienced year-over-year growth, underscoring the broad reach of this positive trend.

Moreover, tourism is more than a one-and-done, Walden explained.  “A visit creates confidence in a new place, opening a door to development and investment.”

However, growth does not occur in a vacuum. Walden identified seven essential levers of global competitiveness that must be addressed: revenue and yield growth; brand leadership; investment; access; workforce; sustainability; and public and policy support.

Walden and members of her team described several initiatives by Destination Canada that support these strategies, explaining how they might change the way the industry develops, markets, and sells Canadian tourism products and experiences.

A major development is the use of Destination Canada’s Canadian Tourism Data Collective—a central, easy-to-use resource that offers not just an overview of tourism’s economic and social effects, but also detailed insights into travel patterns, customer spending, and market segments.

Previously, data collection and analysis were slow, making insights outdated. Now, real-time information from the Canadian Tourism Collective and AI tools like Traveller Twin enable tourism operators to quickly adapt their marketing strategies by simulating traveller behaviour.

Social media apps and sites offer unique insights and access as well, allowing for a deep dive into different travel segments’ desires and motivations.  Tourism now has an unprecedented level of sophisticated knowledge, allowing tourism to create and sell the products that travellers demand, by marketing the right content into the right system to the right person.

As important as AI and other tech tools are, it’s how they’re used that matters.  Destination Canada will be building new partnerships around brand and accessing a much larger global audience to tell – and sell – the Canadian experience.

Story by Debra Sara Ward