TORONTO — Travel Leaders Network is reimagining its popular Regional events in Canada with a brand new format launching in 2026.

The program, which will be called Ignite Canada, will replace the network’s usual one-day Regionals in Vancouver, Toronto and either Edmonton or Calgary with two expanded two-day events in Vancouver (Oct. 21-22) and Toronto (Oct. 28-29).

The reason behind the change is two-fold, says Christine James, Vice President of TL Network Canada who, along with Lindsay Pearlman, President of Travel Leaders Network, briefed trade media yesterday at Travel Leaders Network’s 2025 Canada Fall Regional in Toronto.

First, expanding to a two-day format will allow the company to pack in more opportunities for learning, training and networking. “With a one-day event, you’re pretty limited because there are just so many workshops and so many supplier presentations,” says James.

Second, the change is driven by strong demand from members seeking more in-depth programming closer to home amid a continued downturn in U.S. travel. While Travel Leaders Network will continue to host its annual Edge conference in the United States, with next year’s event taking place in San Diego from May 3-6, Ignite Canada will offer a robust training and networking option for Canadian members who prefer to attend a domestic event.

“Our members are consumers just like anybody else, and there are a lot of people right now who are uncomfortable travelling to the U.S.,” says Pearlman. “We can either ignore it and tell people it will be fine, which is not the route to go, or we can be cognizant of their needs and concerns are. We have a platform that works well and we ‘re now expanding that platform and provide our members with similar content they would get at Edge without having to leave the country.”

James says the company is in the process of securing a venue in Vancouver and negotiating hotel rates. Ignite Canada in Toronto will once again take place at the Toronto Pearson Convention Centre. James also notes that conference rates are being negotiated with airline partners, including WestJet and Air Canada, “to make it easier and economically feasible for members to fly into both locations.”

Early response from members and supplier partners about Ignite Canada has been overwhelmingly positive. James says suppliers are already signing up even before a venue has been finalized. “They’re all over it,” she said, adding that the new events will complement, not replace, the network’s popular regional mixers in cities such as Edmonton, Calgary and Winnipeg.

Adding that the company has grown its business in Canada by about 50% over the last three years, Pearlman adds: “We not only need bigger venues to support our growth, but we also want to create a new kind of environment. This format gives us that opportunity and will help boost member engagement, especially in Western Canada.”

BY THE NUMBERS: SALES & MEMBERSHIP

Travel Leaders Network continues to see strong growth across Canada, with 1,056 members and 250 suppliers attending its 2025 Spring Mixers in both Eastern and Western Canada—representing a 39% increase in member participation over the previous year. This fall, the Vancouver event drew 121 members and 46 suppliers, Edmonton welcomed 84 members and 44 suppliers, and Toronto – its largest Regional event of the year – attracted 232 members and 64 suppliers. So far this year, Travel Leaders Network has also added 33 new members to its Canadian network, bringing its total to more than 500 agencies.

This momentum is also being seen in sales, with year-to-date results being especially strong. “Our business in Canada is up significantly – double-digit growth overall,” she noted, adding that the network has also seen a shift in booking patterns. “We’re seeing shorter booking windows as travellers feel more confident making last-minute plans, while advance bookings are also trending up for 2026, with overall business up about 20% compared to this time last year.”

According to James, the network’s Canadian sales mix continues to be led by cruising, followed closely by land travel. “When we combine all cruise and land sales, we’re up 9% over the same time last year,” she said. “Cruise overall is up 14%, including river, contemporary, and luxury segments, while land-only sales are up 5%.” The luxury cruise market stands out with a 26% year-over-year increase, followed by 13% growth in the premium segment and 8% in contemporary cruising. River cruising continues to perform exceptionally well, up 22% in Canada compared to 19% across North America.

President Lindsay Pearlman said luxury continues to lead network-wide, with river cruising in second place and land programs ranking third. He added that luxury travel remains “largely immune to the psychosis of the financial markets right now,” while short itineraries in the contemporary cruise category are influencing growth patterns and capacity. Looking ahead, James said forward bookings for 2026 are encouraging, with fun-and-sun vacations up 20% and river cruising up 23%. “We’re seeing particularly strong performance in the premium and luxury segments, with premium up 35% and luxury up 19% year over year,” she said.

AGENT TOOLS: AI & SNAP

Travel Leaders Network is also investing heavily in new tools and resources to help members grow their business and adapt to evolving technology. Pearlman says the company has ramped up its focus on artificial intelligence, recently establishing a dedicated AI “think tank”. “We’ve literally ramped up an entire AI division,” he said. “This group’s mandate is to explore how AI can be used to improve our tools, streamline the booking process, and enhance the advisor experience.”

One of the network’s key technology platforms, SNAP (Simple Navigation Advisor Platform), continues to see strong adoption across North America. First launched in Canada in July 2024 for hotel and car rental bookings only, the platform has now been expanded to include an air component with the goal of making air booking “as easy and profitable as possible while strengthening client relationships,” says Pearlman.

Overall benefits of SNAP include easy access to the latest NDC fares without the complexity of GDS commands, ease in finding and booking select and curated hotel programs, the ability to add service fees and manage end-to-end travel needs in one place without a GDS system. There is no login needed – it’s a simple point-and-click solution – and commissions are displayed to advisors at the time of booking. It’s free to member agencies that meet enrollment qualifications and there are no enrollment or annual fees.

Adoption, says Pearlman, has exceeded the company’s expectations, with around 3,000 member advisors now using SNAP to make regular bookings. “If the advisor handles the air booking, the cancellation rate drops by 39%,” he explained. “It keeps the client connected to the advisor and reinforces loyalty.”

Yesterday’s Fall Regional in Toronto included breakout sessions that ranged in topics from social media and marketing strategies to Travel Leaders Network’s Agent Profiler lead generation tool and AI insights. A dinner with partner presentations and prizes followed a Preferred Partner trade show featuring 64 suppliers. Check out some photos below!