New provincial, national tourism branding showcased at 2025 Rendez-vous Canada

With prescient timing, two symbols of Canadian tourism have evolved to reflect the new realities of international relationships. These were given vital publicity during the 2025 Rendez-vous Canada travel trade market and conference, which ended last week in Winnipeg.

Both succeeded in delivering messages that celebrate essential Canadian qualities, without implying any political agenda against the U.S. On the one hand, a campaign promoting Ontario tourism started distribution just over a week ago, using the positioning tag line “We Stand” to deliver visual messaging that extols the tourism highlights in the province. It is “a bold new marketing campaign that celebrates the people, communities and experiences that make Ontario one of a kind,” says a release. 

It is being distributed on platforms ranging from digital channels and social media to radio and television, plus cinema and billboards, and it was launched to generate more tourism in the province by Ontario residents, said Vincenza Ronaldi, president and CEO of Destination Ontario. She was in attendance at the Ontario Networking Station during RVC.

“There was a lot going on between Canada and the U.S. in late January and the idea was to create a campaign that would inspire Ontarians who were changing their U.S. travel plans to explore their own province,” said Ronaldi. “The goal is to reignite curiosity in Ontario, inspire provincial pride and fuel economic growth through tourism.”

But it does so without any political posturing that implies an anti-U.S. position, and it is not meant to be negative towards Americans in any way, she said. “We still welcome Americans and we want them to visit us,” she said.

“We Stand is a proud call to action that encourages Ontarians to travel within the province and to stand with the people, businesses and communities that bring our tourism experiences to life,” says the release. A more national distribution of the spots will start extending the campaign outside of Ontario shortly.

New Destination Canada branding

Timing was also relevant for Destination Canada, which unveiled a new positioning slogan and impressive video assets and concepts during Rendez-vous Canada. The promotional spots are themed to showcase some key Canadian personality characteristics, such as being understated, humble and politely helpful. These messages are delivered in the context of Canadian tourism scenes, together with the defining tagline “Canada, naturally.”

One spot features an apparently routine backyard barbeque, except that it takes place next to a frozen lake while the aurora borealis fills the dark sky above; another showcases the collective Canadian instinct for helpfulness as strangers gather to help push a car from a snowbank. The setting? An icy street in Old Quebec City, with the Chateau Frontenac towering above the scene.

The campaign reflects how even the most ordinary moments in Canada can feel extraordinary to guests. “Those guests remind us of the things that make Canada great – and that we sometimes take for granted,” said Gloria Loree, the senior VP of marketing strategy and chief marketing officer at Destination Canada, who conducted the official brand unveiling during RVC.

Instead of filtered and AI-generated content so frequently found in marketing campaigns today, the “Canada, naturally” campaign leads “with quiet, observational vignettes of everyday Canadian moments reflecting Canada’s unfiltered beauty, quiet confidence and welcoming attitude,” said an agency release.

World Cup football in 2026

The new promotional campaigns will also help supercharge Canadian tourism image-making in the run-up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup football tournament. FIFA has scheduled 13 matches for Canada, including seven in Vancouver and six in Toronto. In Vancouver, these will take place between June 13 and July 7, 2026. Ticket sales for the World Cup will start in September 2025.

Reps for Destination BC were in attendance at Rendez-vous Canada, and they compared the tourism exposure potential of the World Cup to the enormous opportunities that were presented when Vancouver and Whistler hosted the Winter Olympic Games in 2010.

“There will be four-day gaps between games, and those will provide the chance for visitors to explore the province,” said Maya Lange, the VP of global marketing for Destination BC. It is introducing the BeautifulSeats.ca program, which offers three-day getaways and road trips to encourage travel in B.C. between the games. 

“When the action pauses, dive into the energy of Vancouver or travel across British Columbia to explore coasts, skies and peaks shaped by nature,” says the website. The three-day programs focus on tourism centres around the province, including Penticton, Kamloops/Vernon, the Sunshine Coast, the Comox Valley, Victoria, Nanaimo, Whistler and Vancouver.  

Rendez-vous Canada 2025 was held from May 27 to 30 in Winnipeg, at the RBC Convention Centre. Toronto will host RVC 2026.