You know an event’s a triumph when it kicks off with a polar bear swimming above your head and ends inside a six-storey museum with a hoop dancer spinning rings like Canada’s tourism future depended on it. Welcome to Rendez-vous Canada 2025—where commerce meets culture under the shimmering skies of Winnipeg.

Held last week in Manitoba’s vibrant capital, RVC 2025 drew more than 1,200 tourism professionals from across the globe. Delegates weren’t just swapping business cards; they were diving nose-first into Canada’s brand-new tourism narrative: bold, authentic, and—as Destination Canada proudly coined it—“Canada, naturally.”

Now nearing its golden anniversary, RVC has long been the nation’s premier international tourism marketplace. Co-produced by Destination Canada and the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC), this isn’t your run-of-the-mill trade show. It’s a handshake across hemispheres, linking global buyers with Canadian tourism experiences from coast to coast to coast.

Aussie Buyers, Moose Sightings, and Marketing Revelations

Among this year’s 1,200 delegates were 405 vetted international buyers—including a healthy contingent of 15 eager Aussie reps—and 23 globe-trotting journalists sniffing out the next big travel scoop. They met with over 497 Canadian tourism operators ranging from Indigenous-run eco-lodges in British Columbia to culinary walking tours in Quebec’s cobblestone quarters.

Julie King, Managing Director of Destination Canada’s Australian GSA, made no bones about the value RVC brings down under.

“It provides an unmatched opportunity for Australian buyers to be fully immersed in Canadian culture, to experience emerging trends firsthand, and to discover new product that allows them to enhance and diversify their Canadian offering for Australian travellers,” she said. “By attending, buyers can align with Destination Canada’s 2030 Strategy and help make travel a force for good.”

And if there’s one thing Australia appreciates, it’s good travel with a great purpose.

From Forks to French Quarters: Winnipeg on Parade

Winnipeg, often dubbed Canada’s most underrated gem, rolled out a maple-syrup-glazed carpet for attendees. Over three days, delegates were treated to curated city tours: the sweeping heritage of The Forks, the luminous Inuit art at Qaumajuq, the tropical microclimates inside The Leaf at Assiniboine Park, and the pulsating nightlife of the Exchange District and Chinatown. Not to mention more than a few gourmet tastings of regional delicacies—elk sliders, bison tartare, and yes, poutine with a PhD in flavour.

But the venue wasn’t just a backdrop. Winnipeg became an immersive lesson in Canadian identity—a fusion of past, present, and future served up with prairie hospitality and just the right amount of snow still hanging about.

Inside Track & Industry Truths: A Brave New (Tourism) World

Kicking off the main program was “Inside Track,” an executive briefing presented by Gloria Loree, Destination Canada’s Chief Marketing Officer, and Sébastien Dubois, Executive Director of Industry Partnerships. The message? The world is changing fast. And tourism must change with it.

“We are living in a time of undeniable disruption,” said Loree, her words cutting through the conference buzz like a northern wind. “Travel behaviours are shifting, driven by economic uncertainty and a powerful wave of transformation driven by AI. And yet, even in the middle of this disruption, Canada is rising.”

Loree unveiled the nation’s new global brand platform and tagline—Canada, naturally. It’s less a slogan, more a philosophy. One grounded in what real travellers crave: truth, warmth, and unfiltered experience.

“This campaign underscores the importance of connecting to what’s real and reflects what makes Canada distinct,” Loree added. “It’s an open invitation to travellers who are craving authenticity and meaningful connections.”

Well, if any nation can do genuine with grace, it’s Canada.

Closing Night: AI Art, Dancing Spirits & Northern Lights in a Glass

The closing reception—held in the Canadian Museum for Human Rights—was the kind of evening only Canada could pull off. Between interactive AI installations, soulful performances from the House of Gold Diamonds, mesmerising hoop dances, and local eats served with microbrews and Manitoba charm, guests left dazzled, full, and deeply connected to the land and its people.

A key highlight? The 360-degree projection of the aurora borealis washing across the museum’s walls, followed by an exclusive tour of The Leaf’s four living biomes—biodomes that felt like Mother Nature’s love letter to the world.

What RVC Means for the Future

While deals were struck and Instagram stories filled, RVC 2025 was never just about business. It was about belonging, about telling Canada’s story through its people, places, and passions. And it was a timely reminder—especially to buyers and media from key markets like Australia, China, the UK, and the US—that Canada isn’t just selling destinations. It’s offering something more profound: identity, honesty, and a travel experience that resonates long after the plane lands.

As Destination Canada continues to steer towards its 2030 vision, RVC will remain not only a marketplace but a movement—a call for tourism that does more than entertain. It unites, uplifts, and, in the words of the event’s ethos, connects naturally.

By Susan Ng

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