RVC2016: Destination Canada celebrates 40th convention with new record

The 40th edition of Rendez-vous Canada kickstarted at the iconic Montreal Convention Centre on April 24, 2016. The four-day annual convention of Destination Canada is the biggest in its history with over 1,680 delegates, and as many as 536 buyers from 28 countries. It also includes a significant number of buyers from India. RVC2016 will see more than 26,000 face-to-face meetings between Canadian suppliers and the buyers from across the world, including those from non-Destination Canada markets.

The highlight of the first day at RVC2016 was the Destination Canada Inside Track. Addressing the delegates, David Goldstein, president and CEO, Destination Canada spoke about the need to change the old perceptions of Canada. “Canada is not cold, it is cool,” he asserted. Talking about the destination of the 40th convention which is being co-hosted by the tourism departments of Quebec and Montreal, Goldstein stated, “Montreal is the most magnificent city and is a destination that keeps reinventing itself.”

Charlotte Bell, president and CEO, Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) highlighted on the power of public policy to help grow the tourism industry in the country. She stressed on the significance of public-private partnerships (PPP).

An interesting talk on why those in travel business need to create their distinctive brand identity was given by motivational speaker and author Justin Kingsley.