In a strategic departure from its traditional international sales missions, the San Francisco Travel Association (SFTA) brought the Canadian travel trade directly to the California city ahead of the 2026 spring and summer travel season.
Rather than meet Canadians on their home turf, San Francisco Travel rolled out the red carpet for its first Hosted Canada Mission, designed to renew confidence in the destination during a four-day immersion for Canadian partners. By bringing delegates directly to the city, San Francisco positioned itself as open, evolving, and ready to welcome Canadian visitors.
On the mission, Canadian travel trade partners, event planners, and media experienced the city’s latest evolutions firsthand. Delegates were officially welcomed by leading tourism executives, as well as representatives from the San Francisco International Airport and local hotel and attraction partners.
San Francisco Travel immersed Canadian attendees in the destination through a cross-city tour, unique culinary experiences and behind-the-scenes tours of cultural attractions. Curated experiences brought Canadian partners in direct contact with local stakeholders and the tourism community to strengthen their ties to the destination.
Anna Marie Presutti, San Francisco Travel’s President & CEO, celebrated the event’s impact saying, “Canadians have been an important part of our tourism economy for decades, and this mission was our way of building on the longstanding ties between us. We didn’t just want to tell the Canadian market that San Francisco is ready to welcome them; we wanted them to feel the energy and vibrancy of the city for themselves.”
Key highlights of the mission included:
- Customized itineraries: Immersions into the city’s latest culinary and cultural attractions.
- Infrastructure walk-throughs: Deep dives into the evolving events infrastructure and hotel landscape.
- Bilateral intelligence: Dedicated forums for Canadian delegates to share market insights, traveller sentiment, and feedback directly with San Francisco partners to align future offerings.
One mission attendee, Ian Elliott, VP, Destination & Specialty at Ensemble Travel highlighted the value of the programming, stating, “The San Francisco mission came at an important time for the Canadian market. What stood out was the openness of dialogue and the clear commitment to welcoming Canadian travellers through strong engagement with the advisor community. For Ensemble and our member agencies, that level of partnership matters. The focus on differentiated, experience-driven product, from neighbourhoods to culinary to curated off-sites, reinforces San Francisco’s ability to stand apart in a competitive landscape.”
“San Francisco’s warm welcome starts the moment travellers land, with thoughtful amenities, inspiring artwork, and sustainable design channeling the City’s spirit,” said San Francisco International Airport Director, Mike Nakormkhet. “SFO is the global gateway to Northern California, and we were thrilled to brief our Canadian partners on the latest developments in our vision of an extraordinary airport experience.”
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