American Express Global Business Travel’s latest Business Travel Pulse identifies four Canadian city pairs among the world’s ten fastest-growing corporate routes for the first half of 2026: Charlotte–Toronto (#2 worldwide), London–Montreal (#10) and domestic links Kelowna–Vancouver and Calgary–Winnipeg. The ranking is based on year-over-year ticketing data and coincides with Canada’s hosting of FIFA World Cup matches, which has lifted both international arrivals and contracted hotel rates—Toronto’s negotiated corporate rates rose 4.8 % compared with just 0.3 % in Los Angeles. Airlines have responded by adding capacity; Air Canada up-gauged some Toronto–Charlotte rotations to wide-bodies, while WestJet swapped in Boeing 737-MAX 10s on Calgary–Winnipeg. Nevertheless, Amex GBT says overall business-travel costs climbed 8.3 % quarter-over-quarter, driven by higher fares, tight premium-cabin inventory and macro-economic uncertainty. Travel managers should review route budgets, consider advance-purchase strategies and factor in possible airport congestion—especially at Toronto Pearson, which remains Canada’s busiest hub during the tournament window.
Source: Travel Industry Today
