By MICHAEL BAGINSKI/ Nexion’s first dedicated Canadian conference was a big hit this week – literally – as many of the approximately 125 attendees concluded the two-day event at the Toronto Airport Marriott by busing to the ballpark to see the Jays beat the Red Sox on Tuesday night.
Jackie Friedman, President Nexion Travel Group, said the excursion symbolized the energy and enthusiasm of the CanEx conference and by members who “loved” convening in Canada for the program of education, training, trade show, and simply making “connections.” And of course, the ball game (courtesy of Manulife).
The Canadian event was mooted a couple of years ago when members showed some reluctance to having to travel south of the border (a sentiment that has taken on an added dimension in 2026) to a broader event with U.S. members and has replaced previous regional events in Vancouver and Toronto.
And such was the success of this year’s conference that Friedman said, “We think we’ll do it annually!” (along with small cross country events).
Key themes were technology, including the roll out of the SNAP air and car booking tool, and especially artificial intelligence.
Friedman said travel advisors were “passionate” about the advent of AI and taking advantage of its capabilities to become more efficient and effective in their jobs.
The Nexion president noted that, while certainly a “disruption” for retail travel, the industry has not only weathered but ultimately benefitted from many other unanticipated changes, such as commission caps and the pandemic (which enhanced the value of travel agents).
“And I think we’ll be saying the same thing about AI in five or 10 years,” she said.
As for business, Canadian travel to the U.S. is clearly down in certain locals (like across the border, Las Vegas, and NYC), she cited CLIA stats showing that there as been an increase in Canadians embarking on cruises from U.S. ports.
The Dallas-based Canadian added that she believes the downturn on travel south of the border “can only last so long.”
Meanwhile, the war in Iran and overall general geopolitical uncertainties have seen late bookings (within 90 days) increase at the expense of those made between three and 12 months as people exercise caution. But booking farther out is still solid.
After all, she observed, “people like to have hope on the calendar.”
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