By Michael Baginski/ Despite Canadians’ well-documented dip in cross-border travel, Travel Leaders Networks (TLN) says its business already looks great for 2026 with double digit growth on the books compared to what the agent organization was seeing at this time last year.
As TLN conducted its Ontario regional event last week at the Pearson Convention Centre near the Toronto airport, President Lindsay Pearlman and VP Canada Christine James revealed that Canadian advance bookings were up 20% for next year, fueled by luxury/premium, cruise (particularly river), and fun & sun.
Further, a trend towards booking one or two months out is returning.
Ignite Canada
While noting that its members are consumers too – with some currently showing reluctance to travel to the States – the TLN execs revealed that next year will see the launch of a new two-day conference series in Canada, dubbed Ignite Canada.
The Edge mega-conference will still take place in the U.S. (next year in May in San Diego), however the Canadian events, slated for Vancouver (Oct. 21-22) and Toronto (Oct. 28-29) will serve as Can-con “mini Edges” that will also replace the current one-day regional summit program in Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary/Edmonton. Notably, TLN “mixers” will continue across the country.
Pearlman (a Canadian himself who was promoted to president of TLN in June) said it was important not to ignore the feelings of its Canadian membership and to reflect their attitudes.
The Ignite events also allow for more engagement with partners and addressed members’ requests for an expanded event.
Fears and cheers
As to changes to TLN that might be on the drawing board, Pearlman noted that that TLN has grown by over 50% in Canada in the last three years and that 33 new members have been added to date in 2025 (following over 40 in each of the past two years) for a total of over 500.
“I like the path we’re on,” he says. “As a business we’re outpacing the market and our peers. (So) if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
One opportunity – and fear – Pearlman does admit is AI.
“When you say AI, people go white and think ‘I’m going to lose my job!’ But AI is a tool – like the Internet. It’s google on steroids,” he says.
To that end, Pearlman says TLN is investing heavily in AI, so that its members take advantage, but most importantly, use it properly.
“AI writes beautifully, but it doesn’t mean it’s right,” he says. “My issue is that people are lazy – they have to edit it. If an advisor creates an AI itinerary, it’s wrong, and (the agent) doesn’t check and sends it, it’s a misused tool. My biggest fear is people being lazy.
“You won’t lose your business to AI, you will lose it to someone who uses AI (properly),” he concludes.
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