Market spotlight: Canada

Julie Georgas
Managing Director
Visit California Canada

Market performance

In 2025, Canada ranked second for international visitation to the state, generating 1.4 million visits. While visitation declined 20% year over year amid affordability pressures and cross-border headwinds, Canadian visitor spending is forecast to reach $2.9 billion in 2026.

More recent data provides a positive signal.  August 2026 air arrivals grew 3% - the first year-over-year increase since October 2024. Though this growth came off a weak comparison period, the pace of year-over-year declines has eased considerably over recent months. Nearly four in 10 Canadians plan to take an international leisure trip, but travelers are being more selective about where they spend. Cost and perceived value are playing a bigger role in destination choice, and California is competing not just with other U.S. destinations, but with Europe, Asia and travel within Canada.

Competitive environment

Canadian travelers have more choice than ever, with destinations across Europe, Asia, the U.S. and Canada all competing for international travel spend. In this environment, California’s strong awareness and familiarity are important advantages, alongside extensive air access and a breadth of experiences that can support everything from a short getaway to a longer, multi-region vacation.

Sports, entertainment and live events present an especially strong opportunity to keep California timely and relevant for Canadian travelers. These experiences have the potential to create reasons to travel and give California a natural way to connect with the passions Canadians already follow. Following the World Cup and with Super Bowl LXI and LA28 bringing global attention to the state, California has an exceptional runway to use these major moments to inspire broader travel and exploration across its regions.

Visit California programs

Visit California’s FY26/27 programming is focused on two priorities: strengthening the emotional value of a California trip and making the destination easier for Canadians to plan and book. That means creating timely reasons to visit through the cultural moments inspiring Canadian travellers, while connecting that inspiration to trusted voices, airline partners and bookable travel experiences.

One of the year’s highest-profile programs will build around Super Bowl LXI in Los Angeles. Canadian television personality and The Bachelor host Jesse Palmer will headline a new Keeping Up With The Canadians campaign that uses the excitement around the Super Bowl to showcase a broader California experience. A consumer contest will send a Canadian couple to California with tickets to the game, while Visit California will also activate with NFL Canada at its official Super Bowl Watch Party in Toronto.

Airline partnerships are another major focus. Visit California is working with Air Canada, WestJet and Porter to reach travelers when they are actively planning and booking. Air Canada’s Adventure Atlas connects California content directly with flights, accommodations and attractions through an Expedia-powered platform.

In December, Visit California will also bring travel buyers from Canada, Australia, Mexico and the U.K. to Santa Monica for a Multi-Market Reverse Mission. Anchored around an NFL game, the program will show how California’s major sporting moments can become the starting point for extended vacations, while building new opportunities for international buyers to package and sell the state.

Together, these programs are designed to build on California’s strong foundation in Canada, creating timely reasons to visit while making it easier for travelers to turn inspiration into a California trip.