By MICHAEL BAGINSKI/ Nothing says love like tender sliced brisket, smoked ribs, corn bread and a hearty helping of “the best mac and cheese in the city.” And while served up in T.O. rather T.X. (at the delightful SmoQue N’ Bones on Baldwin), the feast was designed to provide a literal taste of the State – or, put another way, perhaps, “barbecue tourism.”
Hosted by Travel Texas, the Canada Week Mission (photo above) on Thursday included Joel Vazquez of Laredo CVB; Debra Bustos, Travel Texas; McKenna Dowdle, Visit Houston; Nora Ochoa, Destination El Paso; Dee Dee Poteete, Visit San Antonio; Viktor Spysak, Air Canada; and Rosalyn Hunter, VoX International; (missing from photo, Autumn Martinez, Visit Lubbock).
All of them on hand for a soft-sell presentation to the media on the merits of travel to the state, but mostly the never-lost appreciation of Canadians who are invited to come back to Texas “when ready.”
Debra Bustos offered the latest Canadian figures for the state: 608,000 visitors in 2025, representing just a 1.4% decline.
“That’s pretty astounding with all the things going on and, all things considered, we’re thrilled (with that),” observed Hunter, Travel Texas’s representative in Canada.
“We fully recognize that a lot of Canadians are not comfortable with U.S. destinations right now, and we fully respect that, but as Debra says, when the time is right we look forward to welcoming those Canadians back with our warm, Texan hospitality and endless opportunities for memorable getaways in our seven diverse regions,” she added.
Hunter pointed out that Texas is in the midst of “huge” year, including hosting (16) FIFA World Cup soccer matches in Houston and Arlington (Dallas), and celebrating the 100th anniversary of Route 66 (the famed highway runs through Amarillo and the Texas Panhandle).
Here are some other tourism tidbits:
New flights from Canada: Two brand new routes have taken flight: Toronto-Austin with Porter and Toronto-San Antonio with Air Canada.
New cruise port Galveston: Galveston is home to the fourth busiest cruise port in the U.S. The city recently opened a new cruise terminal and welcomed MSC Cruises as a new line departing from the destination. MSC joins Princess, Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian and Disney cruise lines at Galveston’s ports.
Alamo Visitor Center and Museum (San Antonio): The Alamo’s 300-year history will be told like never before. The new visitor centre and museum, set to open in 2027, will offer a transformative, world-class experience inviting guests to explore the iconic site. The state-of-the-art facility will combine historical storytelling with cutting-edge immersive elements, including a 4D theatre and special event spaces.
Michelin Guide Texas: In October 2025, the MICHELIN Guide Texas revealed its second annual restaurant selection. Across the state 140 restaurants were honoured spanning 33 cuisine types.
1 Hotel Austin: The luxury eco-lifestyle brand’s first Texas property is set to become the tallest building in Texas at 305 metres. The 251-room hotel will offer views of Lady Bird Lake and the Hill Country.
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