‘Super Bowl of the tourism industry’ underway in Winnipeg

Natalie Thiesen of Economic Development Winnipeg spotlights RVC, Canada’s biggest tourism trade show, and why it’s a game-changer for Manitoba.

Manitoba’s tourism industry is hoping to showcase the province’s many attractions to prospective travellers and take advantage of decreased travel to the United States.

Rendez-vous Canada 2025 has taken over the RBC Convention Centre starting Tuesday. Run by Destination Canada, the conference connects tourism operators and businesses from around the world to Manitobans and Canadians.

“It’s like the Super Bowl of the tourism industry,” said Natalie Thiesen, vice president of tourism with Economic Development Winnipeg.

Winnipeg last played host to the conference in 2010.

Tourism operators have been in the province over the past week, exploring attractions ranging from the Canadian Museum for Human Rights and Riding Mountain National Park, among other locations.

“We want to make sure that Manitoba is top of mind in packaging experiences,” Thiesen said.

The conference comes as travel between the United States and Canada continues to drop compared to 2024. Statistics Canada numbers show a 24 per cent decrease in year-over-year travel between the two countries in March, due to ongoing tensions with U.S. President Donald Trump.

Thiesen said they’re hoping to take advantage of this and showcase Manitoba.

“We’ve tried to showcase our incredible tourism experiences throughout the province, so that they can really see firsthand the authentic experiences and really the gem that Manitoba is,” she said.

The conference runs until May 30. More information can be found online.

-With files from CTV’s Rachel Lagace and The Canadian Press