Toronto’s most star-studded week doubled as a platform for US travel promotion when Brand USA and Visit California hosted Canadian partners at the 50th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on 07SEP.
Open Jaw, along with Canadian travel partners and media, stepped into the TIFF glitz with a welcome reception at Coffee, Oysters & Champagne, hosted by Visit California. From there, guests headed to the VIP Red Carpet Experience at TIFF on behalf of Brand USA for a red-carpet walk and the premiere screening of Eternity.
"We began our partnership with TIFF last year and this is a continuation of our visibility working with them,” Jackie Ennis, Vice President, Global Trade Development, told Open Jaw. “It was a year that's had its challenges, but we really wanted to be present and have this opportunity to connect with our key travel trade partners, trade media, and consumer media.”
Eternity—starring Miles Teller, Elizabeth Olsen, Callum Turner, John Early, and Da'Vine Joy Randolph—is a laugh-out-loud rom-com about a woman caught between her current husband and her ex-husband, both waiting for her in the afterlife. It was chosen as the evening’s screening precisely because it fit the tone Brand USA wanted to strike.
“It’s just a feel-good, uplifting movie,” Ennis said.
During her remarks, Ennis shared a few words honouring colleague Casey Canevari, Director, Global Trade Development for Canada at Brand USA, who passed suddenly in APR. Brand USA’s partnership with TIFF was an initiative he championed with passion, she noted, adding: “This is Casey Canevari’s baby, so we really wanted to honour him tonight in terms of just saying, we’re here for you, Casey.”
Canadian Consumer Sentiment to US ‘Stabilizing’
It’s no secret that 2025 has been a challenging year for cross-border travel. Early forecasts predicted a 20% decrease in Canadian visitation to the US, but Ennis was quick to put the numbers into perspective.
“Actual figures show a 17% decrease, so that’s better than the forecast. Even with a 20% decrease, that’s still 16 million Canadians travelling to the United States on an annual basis,” she said. "I don't want to downplay that there have been challenges or put on rose-tinted glasses, but they're not, perhaps, as severe as one would think.”
Air connectivity has dipped by about three percent overall.
"We do consumer sentiment studies every month, and we've seen that consumer sentiment for Canadians travelling to the US is stabilizing considerably. We remain confident and hopeful that Canadians will continue to visit the US, especially in the upcoming fall season," Ennis said.
To keep momentum, the destination marketing organization (DMO) is doubling down on visibility with Canadian travel and trade media, airline and travel partners, and consumers alike. The organization will be visible at upcoming ACTA events, continuing to strengthen relationships and keep the destination top of mind.
Some parts of the market are undeniably feeling the impact. Speaking with Open Jaw, Collette’s Brett Walker, GM, Canada & International Business Operations, acknowledged that demand patterns have shifted.
“For Collette, the Canadian market specifically is not doing well for the US right now. People are making considerate choices, and really thinking about where they want to go. While the near south is definitely not the business it used to be, east and west are doing extremely well, like Europe and Asia,” Walker said.
Still, he stressed that the pendulum is bound to swing back.
“The [immediate] outlook is going to largely depend on things we can’t control. The long-term outlook is that the US is our closest neighbour, our best friend. Things will change,” he said.
Giving advisors tools to sell
For advisors feeling the pinch from softer US bookings, Ennis stressed that demand is far from gone and opportunities exist to inspire clients with product beyond the usual.
"The United States is still a wonderful place to visit. Many Canadians know the US sunspots, but there's so much more that the country has to offer. We want to give agents the confidence to be able to sell those off-the-beaten path destinations and hidden gems of the United States," Ennis noted.
The USA Discovery Program, an online training platform now featuring modules specifically for Canadian advisors, is one way the organization is helping equip agents with new sales tools. On the consumer side, its America the Beautiful campaign aims to reignite appetite for exploring the United States.
