TORONTO — Travel Texas is very proud of its 2025 Canadian visitation numbers – and with good reason.

The Lone Star State welcomed 608,000 Canadians last year. That’s a decline of just 1%.

The ‘elbows up’ movement has hit some destinations harder than others, border cities and states especially.

Texas on the other hand has strong lift from Canada, and a unique culture. It’s a compelling tourism product many Canadians aren’t yet familiar with, but clearly still in the mood to discover.

“We’re thrilled, all things considered. It’s only a marginal decrease from 2024,” said Rosalyn Hunter, with VoX International, representing Travel Texas in the Canadian market. Travel Texas and VoX hosted a special lunch at Toronto BBQ joint Smoque N’ Bones yesterday, for media and industry partners.

“It just shows that Canadians are still enticed by our vacation options,” Hunter added.

VoX International’s Rosalyn Hunter and Debra Bustos, Travel Texas

TEXAS LIFT

Yesterday’s fun event, complete with a customize your own cowboy hat activity, was infused with Texas hospitality from several regional partners: Dee Dee Poteete, Director of Regional Communications – Visit San Antonio; McKenna Dowdle, Public Relations Coordinator – Houston First Corp/Visit Houston; Joel Vazquez, Assistant Director – Laredo Convention & Visitors Bureau; Nora Ochoa, Ecotourism & Cultural Heritage Manager – Destination El Paso; Autumn Martinez, Media & PR Specialist – Visit Lubbock; and Debra Bustos, International Marketing Specialist – Travel Texas.

Even in these challenging times for transborder travel, Texas is making good on a decades-long commitment to the Canadian market, and Bustos is a familiar and friendly presence at industry events this side of the border.

“People might be a little hesitant. My message is, when you are ready, you are welcome,” said Bustos.

Poteete’s Toronto visit was the second in less than a month, after Visit San Antonio’ April 14 reception celebrating Air Canada’s new YYZ-SAT nonstops. “We have wonderful direct nonstop service to San Antonio that just started May 1 with Air Canada,” said Poteete yesterday. Available May 1 through Oct. 23, Air Canada’s seasonal YYZ-SAT service on A220 aircraft operates 3x weekly.

Viktor Spysak, Partner, Sales & Tourism Partnerships, Air Canada,  was also at the event. “We’re thrilled about our growing network to Texas,” said Spysak. Air Canada’s connectivity to TX includes flights to Dallas, Houston, Austin and “the new baby,” YYZ-SAT. With the jet fuel supply situation Air Canada this week updated its schedule, suspending its seasonal Montreal-Austin service effective Sept. 7.

WestJet also offers plenty of Texas flights, plus Porter is introducing year-round service between Toronto and Austin starting May 21.

“WE STAY VERY COMMITTED TO THE CANADIAN MARKET”

Joel Vazquez, Laredo Convention & Visitors Bureau, sporting the team’s custom-made Canada-Texas shirt

Canada is Texas’ second largest international source market. “We stay very committed to the Canadian market,” said Hunter.

Of course a picture is worth a thousand words, and the shirts sported by the Travel Texas team – featuring a moose and a Texas longhorn and the distinctive Canadian maple leaf – said it all.

Here’s a look at some of Lone Star State’s highlights for 2026 and beyond …

This year marks the 100th anniversary celebration of Route 66, one of the most well known and historic highways in the United States. Amarillo, Texas is one of the most well-known stops on Route 66 thanks to the iconic Cadillac Ranch and Big Texan Steak Ranch and Microbrewery. The annual Texas Route 66 Festival in Amarillo celebrates this iconic highway and its place in pop culture with the 2026 festival, taking place June 4 – 13.

In Austin, construction began in spring 2025 on a reimagined Austin Convention Center designed to deliver a larger, more efficient and community-friendly venue on a smaller downtown footprint, alongside ongoing expansion efforts at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. In Dallas, the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center will undergo a $3.7 billion overhaul following its role as the International Broadcast Center for the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup. Meanwhile, Houston’s George R. Brown Convention Center is set for a $2 billion transformation that will reshape the city’s core into a pedestrian-oriented convention and entertainment hub, highlighted by the new 700,000-square-foot GRB Houston South expansion, retail and dining offerings.

Sixteen of the biggest matches of the highly anticipated FIFA 2026 World Cup will take place in Texas. Arlington will stage nine matches, including four knockout games in the latter stages of the tournament and one semi-final. Houston will host seven matches, including one in the round of 32 and one in the round of 16.

Opening in 2027, the new Alamo Visitor Center and Museum in San Antonio will offer a world-class experience inviting guests to explore the iconic site. With nearly 160,000 square feet of space, the state-of-the-art facility will combine historical storytelling with cutting-edge immersive elements, including a 4D theatre and special event spaces.

More information about travel to Texas is at TravelTexas.com.

Lead image caption: Dee Dee Poteete, Director of Regional Communications – Visit San Antonio; Rosalyn Hunter, with VoX International, representing Travel Texas in the Canadian market; Debra Bustos, International Marketing Specialist – Travel Texas; McKenna Dowdle, Public Relations Coordinator – Houston First Corp/Visit Houston; Nora Ochoa, Ecotourism & Cultural Heritage Manager – Destination El Paso; Joel Vazquez, Assistant Director – Laredo Convention & Visitors Bureau