2025 Program
Tourism Can: Tourism Builds Canada
Tourism is more than travel—it is a tool for unity across Canada. TourismCan celebrates the industry that unites the country through building economies, communities, careers, innovation, and policy. Tourism is the thread that ties Canada together.
Thank you to our Program Advisory Committee for their guidance in assembling this year’s program.
Dates: November 18–20, 2025
Location: Hilton Lac-Leamy, Gatineau, QC
Program is subject to change.
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Pre-Congress Workshops |
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Session Description |
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| 7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. |
Registration |
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| 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. |
Whet Your Appetite: Unlock Your Destination’s Taste of Place to Grow Culinary Tourism Facilitator Description Learning Outcomes
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Travel Trade 101: The Different Segments of Travel Trade and Why It Is Important to Your Business (English) Facilitators Description It is a broad term that covers many unique ways to grow your business and it is sometimes hard to determine what segment of travel trade works best for your business's needs. This interactive workshop explores the full spectrum of travel trade, pricing models, and market opportunities, helping participants identify the right segments for their business or destination to maximize reach, budget, and ROI. Participants will gain a clear understanding of the travel trade network and its value, how to assess readiness and package their products effectively, and strategies to boost visibility and sales. They’ll learn to build strong sales tools, price for the market, evaluate ROI, and leverage programs like TIAC’s Export READI to access international opportunities. This workshop is best suited for:
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Three-Hour Masterclass on Crisis Management for Canadian Tourism Leaders Facilitator
Jeff Jackson, PhD, Risk Management Consultant, Professor, Jeff Jackson Professional Services
Attendees will learn to apply systems thinking to align staff, infrastructure, and partners; build a culture of safety and accountability; and anticipate emerging risks from climate, digital, and misinformation threats. The program highlights the high costs of inaction, while offering practical strategies for effective crisis communications that safeguard trust, reputation, and long-term stability. Who Should Attend |
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Get Your Shift Together: Fix Your People Problem and Manage the New Workforce Facilitators Description |
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| 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. |
Networking Lunch |
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| 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. |
TourismCan: Building a Stronger Canada Through Sustainable Tourism Facilitators Description |
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Funding and Investment Readiness (F.I.R.) Program: Pitch and Land Your Seed and Growth Capital! Facilitator Description The unique design of Firecircle’s F.I.R. program addresses the specific challenges faced by small and medium-sized entrepreneurs who may have limited financial knowledge or experience with seeking investment and/or debt financing. This illuminating workshop will be of interest to businesses who are ready to take the next step in launching or expanding their operations, as well as DMOs who wish to connect their business owners with valuable knowledge. Join us for this illuminating session to learn how to become Investment READITM to take your business where you want it to go! |
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Travel Trade 101: The Different Segments of Travel Trade and Why It Is Important to Your Business (Français) Description It is a broad term that covers many unique ways to grow your business and it is sometimes hard to determine what segment of travel trade works best for your business's needs. This interactive workshop explores the full spectrum of travel trade, pricing models, and market opportunities, helping participants identify the right segments for their business or destination to maximize reach, budget, and ROI. Participants will gain a clear understanding of the travel trade network and its value, how to assess readiness and package their products effectively, and strategies to boost visibility and sales. They’ll learn to build strong sales tools, price for the market, evaluate ROI, and leverage programs like TIAC’s Export READI to access international opportunities. This workshop is best suited for:
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| 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. |
Congress and the Hill Reception
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Congress Day 1: Keynotes & Concurrent Sessions |
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| 7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. |
Registration |
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| 7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. |
Coffee & Connect |
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| 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. |
Marketplace |
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| 8:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. |
Welcome Remarks and Cultural Welcome |
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| 9:00 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. |
Opening Keynote Speaker Description Drawing from his work revitalizing communities through food advocacy—from Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, where he’s served millions of meals with dignity, to the east coast in Halifax and Dartmouth—Brand challenges us to see our roles as more than economic drivers. Tourism is nation-building. With pride as your fuel, you’ll explore how your work shapes Canada’s economic, cultural, and social future. This is a call to lead with connection, purpose, and the unwavering belief that there is no “us and them”—only us! Mark Brand is one of Canada’s most recognized entrepreneurs in the field of social impact and community advocacy. He is a pioneering chef who uses food for good. He has become a prominent example of a new generation of leadership. He represents a growing breed of entrepreneurs and businesses that want to bake impact into everything they do. A fighter for Vancouver’s Downtown East Side, this enigmatic social entrepreneur was determined to breathe new life into the struggling and disjointed community. He’s doing this by finding a balance between sound business practices and social justice. Since 2012, he has served over 5 million meals (often using food items carelessly deemed unusable) to those experiencing poverty in Vancouver, BC. Along with leading his 5 organizations, Brand leads the United Nations Catalyst team focusing on food waste, poverty, and the impacts of current systemic structures on the most marginalized, traveling globally to learn and share best real-world practices and solutions from kitchens and stages alike. He is a co-founder of Persephone Brewing reigniting cooperative and employee ownership and making an 11-acre farm, farmers markets, a pizza oven making ingredients off the farm, and a barrier employment program– Persephone is a haven for what’s possible. In 2023, he brought his model east, launching programs in Halifax and Dartmouth, Nova Scotia that provide dignified food access, training, and employment to the most marginalized—creating a ripple effect of care and connection across the region. Brand received Canada’s Golden Jubilee Medal for service to his country and community. He is the co-founder of A Better Life Foundation, an organization dedicated to raising funds to put toward providing food security to those in need. He works to change policy municipally–and perception nationally–in an effort to help create and build better communities that are rich, inclusive, and wonderful places in which to live and work, and where residents look after one another. He believes there is no “us and them”—only us. Read More |
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| 9:45 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. |
State of the Industry Leadership Report |
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| 10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. |
Networking Break |
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| Concurrent Sessions 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. |
Tourism Promotion as a Driver of Canada’s Export Growth: Insights for DMOs and Policymakers Description |
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Beyond Travel & Tourism Moderator Panellists Description |
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Storytelling & Travel Media Details to come. |
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| 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. |
Air Canada Future Leaders Luncheon |
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| Concurrent Sessions 1:30 p.m. – 2:25 p.m. |
From Insight to Impact: How Data Powers Decision Making Speaker Description |
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Planning for Growth: Investing in Visitor Experiences Speaker Description |
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Explore the Transformative Role of AI: Elevating Guest Experiences and Streamlining Operations Within the Tourism Industry Speakers Description |
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| Concurrent Sessions 2:30 p.m. – 3:25 p.m. |
Fostering Destination Stewardship Through Strategic Partnerships: Ottawa’s Food Recovery Program Speakers Description |
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You are Hiring Second-Best: How to Win over Insurance, Banking, and Technology for the Best Talent Speakers Description |
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Balancing Protection and Enjoyment of Natural & Outdoor Attractions Speakers Description In this session, delegates will learn strategies for sustainable visitor management that balance conservation efforts with enhancing visitor experiences, using real-world examples and case studies from Hamilton’s Waterfall Destination Master Plan and waterfront animation initiatives. |
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| 3:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. |
Networking Break |
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| 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
Driving Sector Growth for a Stronger Visitor Economy Moderator Panellists Additional panellists to be announced. |
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Congress Day 2: Plenaries & Panels |
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| 7:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. |
Registration |
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| 8:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. |
Marketplace |
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| 8:00 a.m. – 9:15 a.m. |
President's Breakfast - TIAC Members Only |
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| 8:00 a.m. – 9:15 a.m. |
Coffee & Connect |
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| 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. |
Destination Canada Session Details to come. |
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| 10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. |
Networking Break |
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| 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. |
From Meetings to Millions: The Economic Impact of Business Events Panellists
Claire Smith, VP Sales & Marketing, Vancouver Convention Centre
Laura Pallotta, VP Sales & Distribution, Marriott International Andrew Weir, President & CEO, Destination Toronto Paul Nursey, Destination Greater Victoria Juliano Lissoni, Managing Director, MCI Canada Description
Get ready for The View, Tourism Congress style! This dynamic panel brings together leading voices from across the business events ecosystem for a robust discussion about the value of business events. From municipal, provincial/territorial, and federal government perspectives to the frontlines of workforce development, economic growth and GDP generation and investment attraction. This is a discussion you won’t want to miss as DMO leaders engage with representatives from a big city convention centre, major hotel chain and a conference and trade show management company. |
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| 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. |
Luncheon sponsored by WestJet |
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| 1:30 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. |
The Future of Work in Tourism Panellists to be announced.
Description
Mobilizing talent. Accelerating productivity. Creating a stronger Canada. Building on the most current trends and data, this expert panel will provide insights and recommendations for growing a resilient, inclusive, and competitive workforce. Work, workers, and workplaces are changing. The competition for attracting and retaining talent has never been greater. The group will explore how automation and technology, like AI, are transforming the tourism industry and impacting jobs. They will speak about an untapped talent pool, the greater emphasis on workplace integrated learning, and the shifting workforce policy designed to achieve current economic and social priorities. |
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| 2:15 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. |
Networking Break |
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2:30 p.m. – |
National Tourism Thinktank: Charting Canada’s Collective Future Moderator Panellists Additional panellists to be announced. |
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| 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. |
Canada’s Tourism Feud: An Industry Game Show Master of Ceremonies Contestants Description |
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| 5:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. |
Canadian Tourism Awards Finalists Private Reception* |
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| 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. |
Canadian Tourism Awards Reception** |
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| 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. |
Canadian Tourism Awards** Tickets must be purchased in advance. |
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**This is a ticketed event and is not included with all registration pass types.