From incentives to medical conferences to association conventions, a number of events scheduled to be held in the U.S. have moved to Canada in 2025 due to the Trump Administration’s DEI policies, threats to annex Canada, and reports of hassles on the border from increased security. The trend is expected to continue next year.
According to the Skift 2025 Travel Health Index, Canada’s travel sector had grown 6% by July. Meanwhile, Canadian travel to the U.S. this year has fallen. Canada has historically been the single largest source of international travel to the U.S., with more than 20 million visitors in 2024 — however, the U.S. is on track to lose as much as 30% of Canadian travelers this year.
U.S. Business Events Head North
Virginie De Visscher, executive director, business events at Destination Canada, is feeling positive about business events.
“The U.S. continues to be a growth market for business events in Canada, and delegate numbers are up,” she said. “While macroeconomic uncertainties persist, the sector is holding steady and adapting effectively.“
Canada offers a solution for U.S. incentive groups looking to stay closer to home. Of the more than 2,700 incentive travel industry professionals surveyed for the 2025 Incentive Travel Index (IRI), 44% said they are choosing destinations within shorter distances. With personal safety being the primary disqualifier for a destination, according to the survey, Canada also ranks at the lowest risk level from the U.S. Department of State.
Conventions Disrupted
Both U.S. and Canadian conferences are losing attendees because of concerns about hassles crossing the border. Exacerbating the situation are news reports and YouTube videos of meeting attendees, along with tourists, being detained and their phones searched. As a result, there have also been numerous reports of 2025 conventions being moved from the U.S. to the north, including to Montreal and Toronto.
Some conventions have been canceled completely. The annual conference for the North American Interfaith Network, scheduled for August in Nova Scotia, was called off indefinitely because participants were uncomfortable with potential issues related to crossing the U.S.-Canada border.
For others, the turmoil has led to successes. In Vancouver, the Web Summit’s inaugural Canadian edition held at the Vancouver Convention Centre May 27-30 attracted 15,727 attendees from 117 countries, a record for any first-year Web Summit event.
During a joint press conference between CEO Paddy Cosgrave and Vancouver mayor Ken Sim, when asked about how U.S. instability had impacted the event, Cosgrave said, “To put it very bluntly, I think we’re quite fortunate that the event is in Vancouver,” and not the U.S.
2026 events are also being affected. The Work and Family Researchers Network moved its 2026 biennial conference from Boston to Montreal June 17-20, and the 26th world meeting of the International Society for Research on Aggression will now be held in Ontario July 20-23.
“Looking ahead, the outlook here is positive,” said Destination Canada’s DeVisscher. “We expect moderate growth from the U.S. and significant growth from overseas markets. This points to a resilient sector that will only expand as global conditions stabilize.”
