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Tour Operators in Canada - Market Research Report (2015-2030)

Jacob Posada Jacob Posada New York, United States Last Updated: March 2025 NAICS 56152CA

Revenue

$10.5bn

2025

$10.5bn

Past 5-Year Growth

Profit

$XXX.Xm

Employees

8,995

Businesses

732

Wages

$XXX.Xm

Tour Operators in Canada industry analysis

Canada's tour operator industry has been riding a wave of recovery fueled by elevated travel demands post-pandemic. The industry has proven its resilience, with current-year revenue hitting $10.5 billion with modest growth of 2.1%. This growth aligns with revitalized consumer interest, particularly from younger Canadians prioritizing travel, often opting for budget-friendly travel packages. Operators meet this demand by offering cost-effective solutions. However, competition has intensified as tech-savvy consumers use online tools to independently plan trips. The industry's challenge is blending technology like AI with human expertise to provide unforgettable experiences while maintaining profitability, which has stabilized slightly below 3.0%. 

Trends and Insights

  • Personalized travel experiences are a lucrative opportunity. As travellers increasingly seek bespoke itineraries, operators can tap into this demand by leveraging technology and local partnerships to deliver unique, tailored adventures that enhance customer satisfaction.
  • Custom tours have become more popular in recent years. The rise in popularity of personalized tours can be traced back to technological advancements, which have simplified their design process.
  • Location is everything for Canada's tour operators. Their proximity to popular attractions like the Canadian Rocky Mountains and Niagara Falls means they can offer tourists easy access to unforgettable experiences, enhancing the overall travel adventure.
  • Numerous tour operators target specific markets, heightening competition by maintaining a minimal concentration level. This strategy allows numerous businesses to thrive across service offerings and regions.

Access hundreds of data points and trends

  • Market estimates from 2015-2030
  • Critical performance data and rankings
  • Detailed analysis of competitive forces and the external environment
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Industry Statistics and Trends

Market size and recent performance (2015-2030)

Industry revenue has grown at a CAGR of 14.1 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated $10.5bn in 2025.

Trends and Insights

Elevated travel has been a boon for tour operators

  • Canadian travellers, especially younger generations, are prioritizing travel, with a strong inclination toward budget-friendly accommodations. According to Flight Centre, 61% of younger Canadians intend to travel over the next 12 months. This behaviour boosts sales of lower-priced travel packages, prompting tour operators to develop cost-effective offerings to attract this price-sensitive demographic.
  • Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Tour Operators in Canada
Revenue (2015-2030)
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry outlook (2025-2030)

Market size is projected to decline over the next five years.

Trends and Insights

AI and AR will enhance tour operators’ offerings

  • Over the next five years, Canadian tour operators embracing AI and AR technologies will substantially streamline operations and enhance traveller satisfaction. By deploying AI-driven chatbots and virtual assistants, operators will offer more personalized booking experiences, instantly addressing travellers’ preferences and questions. Businesses that acknowledge AI’s ability to transform interactions and provide tailored services that traditional methods can’t match will bolster growth.

Biggest companies in the Tour Operators in Canada

Company
Market Share (%)
2025
Revenue ($m)
2025
Profit ($m)
2025
Profit Margin (%)
2025
Transat AT Inc.
579.5
34.2
5.9

To view the market share and analysis for all 1 top companies in this industry, view purchase options.

Products & Services Segmentation

Tour Operators in Canada
Products & Services
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Prepackaged tours, Customized tours and Other. Prepackaged tours is the largest segment of the Tour Operators in Canada.

Trends and Insights

Pre-packaged tours form a bulk of revenue

  • Pre-packaged tours are structured bundles offering accommodations, transportation, activities and visa services for international tours, making them appealing to cost-conscious consumers seeking a convenient travel option without the hassle of detailed planning.
  • More insights available in the full report

Table of Contents

About this industry

Industry definition

Companies in the Tour Operators industry in Canada primarily arrange, market and conduct tours, including wholesale tours, of cities, museums, natural attractions and other places of interest. The industry excludes companies that primarily provide travel information on an area’s attractions (IBISWorld report 56159CA), as well as travel agencies (IBISWorld report 56151CA).

What's included in this industry?

Arranging, marketing and conducting toursArranging and marketing wholesale tours

Companies

Transat AT Inc.

Purchase this report to view all 1 major companies in this industry.

Related Terms

TOUR WHOLESALERTOUR PACKAGEVISITOR BUREAU

Industry Code

NAICS 2007

NAICS 561520 - Tour Operators in Canada

Performance

Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.

Analyst insights

Personalized travel experiences are a lucrative opportunity. As travellers increasingly seek bespoke itineraries, operators can tap into this demand by leveraging technology ...

In this chapter (4)

  • Current Performance
  • Outlook
  • Volatility
  • Life Cycle

Key metrics

  • Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
  • Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
  • Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
  • Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business

Charts

  • Revenue, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
  • Employees, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
  • Businesses, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
  • Profit, including historical (2015-2025)
  • Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
  • Industry Life Cycle

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
  • Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
  • Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
  • How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.

Products and Markets

Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.

Analyst insight

Custom tours have become more popular in recent years. The rise in popularity of personalized tours can be traced back to technological advancements, which have simplified th...

In this chapter

  • Products & Services
  • Major Markets

Key metrics

  • Largest market segment and value in 2025
  • Product innovation level

Charts

  • Products & services segmentation in 2025
  • Major market segmentation in 2025

Detailed analysis

  • Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
  • Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
  • Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
  • Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services

Geographic Breakdown

Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.

Analyst insights

Location is everything for Canada's tour operators. Their proximity to popular attractions like the Canadian Rocky Mountains and Niagara Falls means they can offer tourists e...

In this chapter (1)

  • Business Locations

Charts

  • Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each province
  • Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2025

Tables

  • Number and share of establishments in each province in 2025
  • Number and share of revenue each province accounts for in 2025
  • Number and share of wages each province accounts for in 2025
  • Number and share of employees in each province in 2025

Detailed analysis

  • Geographic spread of the industry across North America, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
  • Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage

Competitive Forces

Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.

Analyst insights

Numerous tour operators target specific markets, heightening competition by maintaining a minimal concentration level. This strategy allows numerous businesses to thrive acro...

In this chapter (4)

  • Concentration
  • Barriers to Entry
  • Substitutes
  • Buyer & Supplier Analysis

Key metrics

  • Industry concentration level
  • Industry competition level and trend
  • Barriers to entry level and trend
  • Substitutes level and trend
  • Buyer power level and trend
  • Supplier power level and trend

Charts

  • Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2020-2025
  • Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart

Detailed analysis

  • Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
  • Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
  • Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
  • Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
  • Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
  • Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
  • Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
  • Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
  • Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.

Companies

Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.

Analyst insights

As Canada's largest tour operator, Transat has a unique nationwide presence and is the country's only major player in the industry.

In this chapter

  • Market Share Concentration
  • Companies
  • Company Spotlights

Charts

  • Industry market share by company in 2021 through 2025
  • Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2025
  • Overview of Transat AT Inc.'s performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2019 through 2025

Detailed analysis

  • Description and key data for Transat AT Inc., and factors influencing its performance in the industry

External Environment

Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.   

Analyst insights

The economic health of the tour operator industry hinges on disposable income levels. When Canadians have extra cash to spare, they're more inclined to indulge in longer vaca...

In this chapter

  • External Drivers
  • Regulation & Policy
  • Assistance

Key metrics

  • Regulation & policy level and trend
  • Assistance level and trend

Charts

  • Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2015-2030) 
  • Assistance historical data and forecast (2015-2030) 

Detailed analysis

  • Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
  • Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
  • Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.

Financial Benchmarks

View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time. 

Analyst insights

Tour operators are cutting costs with digital solutions. By using digital booking platforms, Canadian businesses have slashed the need for office supplies and staff, keeping ...

In this chapter

  • Cost Structure
  • Financial Ratios
  • Key Ratios

Key metrics

  • Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
  • Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
  • Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
  • Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio

Charts

  • Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2025
  • Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2025
  • Investment vs. share of economy

Data tables

  • Liquidity Ratios (2018-2023)
  • Coverage Ratios (2018-2023)
  • Leverage Ratios  (2018-2023)
  • Operating Ratios (2018-2023)
  • Assets (2018-2023)
  • Liabilities (2018-2023)
  • Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2015-2030)
  • Revenue per Employee (2015-2030)
  • Revenue per Enterprise (2015-2030)
  • Employees per Establishment (2015-2030)
  • Employees per Enterprise (2015-2030)
  • Average Wage (2015-2030)
  • Wages/Revenue (2015-2030)
  • Establishments per Enterprise (2015-2030)
  • IVA/Revenue (2015-2030)
  • Imports/Demand (2015-2030)
  • Exports/Revenue (2015-2030)

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability 

Key Statistics

Industry Data

Data Tables

Including values and annual change:

  • Revenue (2015-2030)
  • IVA (2015-2030)
  • Establishments (2015-2030)
  • Enterprises (2015-2030)
  • Employment (2015-2030)
  • Exports (2015-2030)
  • Imports (2015-2030)
  • Wages (2015-2030)

Top Questions Answered

Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.

What is the market size of the Tour Operators industry in Canada in 2025?

The market size of the Tour Operators industry in Canada is $10.5bn in 2025.

How many businesses are there in the Tour Operators in Canada industry in 2025?

There are 732 businesses in the Tour Operators industry in Canada, which has declined at a CAGR of 9.0 % between 2020 and 2025.

How may import tariffs affect the Tour Operators industry in Canada?

The Tour Operators industry in Canada is unlikely to be materially impacted by import tariffs with imports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.

How may export tariffs affect the Tour Operators industry in Canada?

The Tour Operators industry in Canada is unlikely to be materially impacted by export tariffs with exports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.

Has the Tour Operators industry in Canada grown or declined over the past 5 years?

The market size of the Tour Operators industry in Canada has been growing at a CAGR of 14.1 % between 2020 and 2025.

What is the forecast growth of the Tour Operators industry in Canada over the next 5 years?

Over the next five years, the Tour Operators industry in Canada is expected to decline.

What are the biggest companies in the Tour Operators market in Canada?

The biggest company operating in the Tour Operators market in Canada is Transat AT Inc.

What does the Tour Operators in Canada include?

Arranging, marketing and conducting tours and Arranging and marketing wholesale tours are part of the Tour Operators industry.

Which companies have the highest market share in the Tour Operators in Canada?

The company holding the most market share in Canada is Transat AT Inc..

How competitive is the Tour Operators industry in Canada?

The level of competition is high and increasing in the Tour Operators industry in Canada.

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Methodology

How are IBISWorld reports created?

IBISWorld has been a leading provider of trusted industry research for over 50 years to the most successful companies worldwide. With offices in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and China, we are proud to have local teams of analysts that conduct research, data analysis and forecasting to produce data-driven industry reports.

Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.

IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.

What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?

Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.

Key data sources in Canada include:

  • Statistics Canada
  • Industry Canada
  • Canadian Business Patterns

Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.

These sources include:

  • Industry and trade associations
  • Industry federations or regulators
  • Major industry players annual or quarterly filings

Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.

How does IBISWorld forecast its data?

IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.

IBISWorld prides itself on being a trusted, independent source of data, with over 50 years of experience building and maintaining rich datasets and forecasting tools. We are proud to be the keystone source of industry information for thousands of companies across the world.

Learn more about our methodology and data sourcing on the Help Center.