TORONTO — How to describe Guatemala in one word? “Magic,” says Myriam De La Roca, Consul General for Guatemala in Toronto.

Myriam De La Roca, Consul General for Guatemala in Toronto, and Diego Meneses with the Embassy of Guatemala in Canada, at Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel

De La Roca and Diego Meneses with the Embassy of Guatemala in Canada have plenty of tips for Canadian travel advisors looking to sell more of this Central American destination. The two were in town recently for CMEE.

First up: Air Canada’s expanded service to Guatemala is set to be a game-changer. As announced last month, Air Canada has added 1x weekly service from Toronto to Guatemala City (GUA) starting in December 2026. Air Canada is also extending its seasonal YUL-GUA service to year-round, with three weekly flights starting this October.

Guatemala welcomed 41,447 visitors from Canada in 2025, a 5% increase over 2024. From January through July 2026, another 31,475 Canadians visited Guatemala. With Toronto as a second Canadian gateway, those numbers will only rise. 

Also good to know: it’s just a five hour flight to Guatemala. Once on the ground, visitors will find a little bit of everything, from luxury hotels to big-brand chain properties, to boutique hotels, to all-inclusive.

Guatemala’s Volcan de Fuego

Guatemala is home to volcanoes – 37 to be precise. The beautiful city of Antigua with its Spanish colonial buildings works well as a base. Lake Atitlan is famously surrounded by three volcanoes, and charming towns. And of course, Tikal National Park, with its ancient ruins, receives hundreds of thousands of visitors every year.

Speaking of volcanoes, Guatemala is a magnet for adventure travel, popular for volcano trekking, whitewater rafting and surfing at prices that don’t blow the budget. Great gastronomy, culture, jungles and more round out the offering.

More information about travel to Guatemala can be found at VisitGuatemala.gt.

Lead image caption: Antigua, Guatemala