Virtuoso kicked off its slate of in-market events with its 2026 Canada Forum last week, bringing together over 100 attendees, including owners and managers from Virtuoso’s travel agency members in Canada and preferred partners from around the world.
The annual gathering was hosted at Fairmont Palliser in Calgary, giving attendees the opportunity to explore one of Canada’s fastest-growing destinations and a key air hub, connecting global travellers to the Canadian Rockies.
Designed to allow agency management to focus on their business in a new way, Forum offers an exchange of insights and best practices while also fostering meaningful human connections.
High-impact presentations and professional development sessions were complemented by candid peer-to-peer dialogue and discussions across critical topics shaping the industry, including marketing, technology, generational diversity, economic opportunity, organizational leadership and more.
Virtuoso’s Canadian General Manager Karen Hardie opened the event with an overview of the Canadian luxury travel landscape and its outlook for 2026, setting the stage for a two-day event focused on industry trends and innovation within the market.
Hardie shared projections indicating that global luxury travel is expected to grow eight percent over the next four years, with demand for luxury experiences in Canada growing at twice the rate of luxury goods.
She also outlined several key trends shaping the year ahead, including multi-generational travel, authenticity, cultural immersion and nature-based excursions. And Hardie closed by addressing the role of travel advisors in Canada and another reason for optimism, citing the 2025 Virtuoso Global Luxury Traveller Report, an annual survey of luxury travellers across 17 countries conducted in collaboration with YouGov.
The report found that 33 percent of affluent Canadian travellers expressed interest in working with a travel advisor in 2026, eight percentage points above the global average.
Virtuoso’s Executive Vice President, Strategic Communications David Kolner followed with an insightful look at Virtuoso’s performance across Canada, pointing to another year of strong momentum for the network.
In 2025, preferred partner sales among Canadian agencies increased by nine percent year over year. Sales grew across all categories, led by tours at 74 percent, followed by cruise at 33 percent, hotels at 16 percent and on‑sites at five percent. Preferred partner ADR (Average Daily Rates) also remained resilient throughout the year, peaking at USD $1,870 in December.
Positive outlook for the year ahead remains strong across the Virtuoso network, according to the January 2026 Virtuoso Pulse Survey of members and preferred partners. Seventy-one percent of members reported feeling optimistic about their business, up from 69 percent mid-last year.
Partner optimism also improved, rising to 62 percent from 56 percent over the same period. According to the 2026 Virtuoso Luxe Report, nearly half of Canadian advisors surveyed foresee at least a slight rise in travel demand this year, with 13 percent anticipating a significant increase. Spend per trip is expected to remain high, with 60 percent predicting at least a modest increase and 18 percent expecting client spend to stay the same.
The Owner/Manager Outlook Survey conducted live during the Canada Forum mirrors that optimism and reflects strong confidence for the year ahead, with agencies preparing for continued demand: 92 percent are planning to hire some type of new staff, including independent contractors (61 percent) and full-time advisors (47 percent).
Respondents identified geopolitical conflict as the most significant factor likely to shape luxury travel in 2026, and more than half (66 percent) view Artificial Intelligence as an opportunity.
When asked about traveller behaviour, owners and managers indicated heightened interest in new destinations (83 percent), solo travel (60 percent) and slower-paced immersive itineraries (60 percent). A modest uptick in price sensitivity (nine percent) demonstrates that the economy and rising travel costs are less impactful on luxury travellers.
Wrapping up the session, Virtuoso Chairman and CEO Matthew D. Upchurch reflected on his 40-year journey with the network, sharing how it began not with a grand plan, but with inspiration from Virtuoso’s founding members and three guiding beliefs: human connection, an unwavering commitment to excellence and human-enhancing technology.
He acknowledged how far the industry has come, explaining that the network’s early vision has largely been realized, with travel advising elevated as a respected profession that remains meaningful as the industry evolves, the scaling of human connection on a global basis and the enduring importance of experiences over possessions. With that success comes a new set of dynamics, including rapid advisor growth and a more competitive luxury travel landscape.
Upchurch observed: “I’m most excited about turning challenge into opportunity with a refreshed perspective on what’s possible, and I’m grateful for a community that believes in growing together. Deeper understanding brings clarity to three key drivers we see shaping what’s ahead: quality, globalization and entrepreneurship.”
And Upchurch emphasized that: “By focusing on greater flexibility in how we deliver value to Virtuoso’s diverse membership – and on the mutual commitments required to do so – we strengthen the support of our members, the ability to deliver for our partners and ensure we’re prepared to adapt and thrive in the years to come.”
Virtuoso’s Canada Forum marks the second in a series of international Forums, followed by Latin America & the Caribbean Forum in Lima (March 2-4), United Kingdom & Ireland Forum in Lisbon (March 9-10), Continental Europe Forum in Lisbon (March 11-13), Australia & New Zealand Forum in Auckland (March 23-26), Greater China Forum in Bali (April 1-2) and North & Southeast Asia Forum in Bali (April 2-3).
Go to www.Virtuoso.com for more.
