By Michael Baginski/ Donald Trump, and by extension all things relating to Canadian travel to the U.S., dominated our news feed, and reads, this year. Sure, AI and its applications in travel emerged in full force in 2025, generating its fair share of fears and cheers.
And, of course, there were airline labour relations issues/strikes from Air Canada and Transat that prompted just a little interest, plus a hurricane in Jamaica of historical proportions and the subsequent recovery efforts.
But nothing topped Trump.
Mostly readers hung on every twist and turn from south of the border – machinations that might affect their clients’ (or their own) travel intentions towards the U.S., from border experiences (real and perceived) to travel boycotts by Canadians.
As the rift widened, many concerned U.S travel destinations and organizations took steps to register their disagreement with the administration and/or commitment to the Canadian market in both words and actions, such as various “We Love Canadians” campaigns.
Meanwhile, some American entities were notably MIA, as our coverage from the IPW trade show in Chicago in June revealed to overwhelming interest.
The domino effect continued as Canadians turned to alternate destinations for their wanderings – most notably our home and native land. It was a year of living domestically, as reflected in the popularity of our occasional “Canada Compass” feature.
All together, these themes made for “a nice, neat, little package,” as Homer Simpson would say, all interrelated to one degree or another, and rivalling only COVID, 9-11, and commission cuts/caps in scope during my lengthy career. Even first-term Trump didn’t compare.
Unsurprisingly, some of these themes were manifested in our best-read stories of the year – three of which we reprise here for this year-end time capsule issue.
You won’t see us tomorrow, but we’ll be back Monday, Jan. 5. Until then, Happy New Year, be safe, and let’s hope 2026 is better.