{"id":948294,"date":"2026-10-27T15:38:27","date_gmt":"2026-10-27T15:38:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/948294\/"},"modified":"2026-10-27T15:38:27","modified_gmt":"2026-10-27T15:38:27","slug":"guatemala-targets-canadian-growth-as-air-canada-adds-nonstop-toronto-flights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/948294\/","title":{"rendered":"Guatemala targets Canadian growth as Air Canada adds nonstop Toronto flights"},"content":{"rendered":"

Guatemala is preparing to welcome more Canadian visitors as Air Canada launches year-round nonstop service from Toronto to Guatemala City, the country\u2019s capital, in December, adding a second Canadian gateway to a country known for its Maya heritage, volcanoes, and Indigenous communities.<\/p>\n

Approximately 70 Canadian travel advisors, tourism partners, and members of the media gathered at W Toronto on Monday evening (Oct. 26) for a destination showcase hosted by the Guatemalan Tourism Institute (INGUAT).\u00a0<\/p>\n

Images of Guatemala’s volcanic landscapes, ancient Maya temples, and colourful colonial streets set the scene for the evening.<\/p>\n

Harris Whitbeck, director general of INGUAT and Minister of Tourism, sees the new connection as an opportunity to introduce travellers to experiences beyond the country\u2019s best-known archaeological sites.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe offer nature and adventure and a beautiful Pacific beach, but we offer 3,000 years of history, and we offer a culture that\u2019s made up of 25 different cultures, which are vibrant and visible. So the richness of our culture, I mean, you can just feel it on your skin, and I think that\u2019s what makes it so different,\u201d he told PAX.<\/p>\n

\"Harris<\/p>\n

Air Canada builds on Montreal\u2019s success with Toronto route<\/p>\n

The Toronto\u2013Guatemala City route is scheduled to launch in December 2026, operating once weekly year-round.<\/p>\n

Air Canada\u2019s Montreal service, introduced in 2025, has also transitioned to year-round operations, with three weekly flights during winter and two during summer. Together, the routes will provide four weekly nonstop departures from Canada during winter.<\/p>\n

Shabnam Esfahani, partner, specialty sales at Air Canada, told PAX\u00a0that Montreal\u2019s performance helped support the Toronto launch.<\/p>\n

\"Shabnam<\/p>\n

Demand has been encouraging among leisure travellers, groups and passengers visiting friends and relatives. The airline is also seeing European travellers connect through Canada to reach Guatemala.<\/p>\n

According to INGUAT, European visitor arrivals have increased 14 per cent since the launch of the Montreal route.<\/p>\n

Esfahani said additional Toronto frequencies could be considered as demand develops, subject to aircraft availability.<\/p>\n

\"TravelINGUAT projects more than 60,000 Canadian visitors in 2027<\/p>\n

INGUAT projects 49,320 Canadian visitors in 2026 and 60,209 in 2027, representing projected growth of 22.1 per cent next year.<\/p>\n

Canadian arrivals increased 20 per cent between January and September 2026 compared with the same period in 2025.<\/p>\n

Canadian visitors spend an average of 14.4 days in Guatemala, according to INGUAT, giving advisors room to build itineraries across several regions.<\/p>\n

Whitbeck said Guatemala has introduced 15 new international air routes since 2024, reflecting efforts to improve access to the destination.<\/p>\n

\"(Pax<\/p>\n

“New luxury” experiences<\/p>\n

From volcanic hikes to ancient Maya cities and Pacific coast surfing, Guatemala offers experiences that extend beyond a traditional sun vacation.<\/p>\n

Guatemala City offers museums, galleries and a growing culinary scene, while nearby Antigua Guatemala, a UNESCO\u00a0World Heritage city, is known for its colonial architecture, boutique hotels, coffee farms and destination weddings.<\/p>\n

Adventure travellers can hike Acatenango volcano, where views of neighbouring Fuego\u2019s volcanic activity are possible when conditions permit.<\/p>\n

\"(INGUAT)\"<\/p>\n

Further west, Lake Atitl\u00e1n combines lakeside villages, Indigenous cultural experiences, weaving cooperatives and wellness retreats.<\/p>\n

In northern Guatemala, Pet\u00e9n is home to Tikal, where ancient Maya temples rise above the rainforest. The site provided the backdrop for the Rebel Alliance\u2019s base in the original 1977 Star Wars film, which celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2027.<\/p>\n

Whitbeck also pointed to El Pared\u00f3n, a Pacific coast community attracting surfers and visitors interested in smaller hotels and restaurants.<\/p>\n

These experiences reflect what Whitbeck described as growing interest in “new luxury”, where cultural immersion and connections with local communities take precedence over traditional resort amenities.<\/p>\n

\"(INGUAT)\"<\/p>\n

Camino del Tiempo hiking trail debuts in November<\/p>\n

A new community-led hiking network in the highlands of Quich\u00e9 is among Guatemala\u2019s upcoming tourism developments.<\/p>\n

Inspired by Spain\u2019s Camino de Santiago, Camino del Tiempo, or the Path of Time, is expected to open its first 20 kilometres in November.<\/p>\n

The route will connect travellers with Maya heritage, local food, spirituality, and mountain landscapes while supporting guides, artisans, and family-run businesses.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat Guatemala offers, and what makes it so different as a destination, is the authenticity, and that authenticity only comes when communities are directly involved and have a very strong say in how they want to receive visitors,\u201d Whitbeck said during the presentation.<\/p>\n

The initiative also has personal significance for Whitbeck, who travelled through Quich\u00e9 approximately 40 years ago while assisting Canadian journalists covering Guatemala\u2019s civil war.<\/p>\n

Four decades later, the region is preparing to welcome visitors through a tourism project shaped by local communities.<\/p>\n

\"(INGUAT)\"\/<\/p>\n

Whitbeck responds to safety concerns<\/p>\n

Asked by PAX\u00a0what Canadian travel advisors should tell clients who have concerns about safety in Guatemala, Whitbeck addressed the country\u2019s reputation.<\/p>\n

\u201cSecurity and safety is a lot about perception, and we are obviously well aware of the perception of insecurity,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Whitbeck said Guatemala welcomed more than three million visitors in 2025 and recorded fewer than 80 reported incidents involving tourists, citing INGUAT\u2019s monitoring of visitor safety. He described the incidents as primarily involving thefts of items such as mobile phones.<\/p>\n

PAX\u00a0could not independently verify the incident figures or the scope of the reporting.<\/p>\n

Whitbeck also highlighted ASISTUR, Guatemala\u2019s tourism assistance program, which offers a 24-hour bilingual hotline and WhatsApp support for visitors.<\/p>\n

The program provides a local point of contact for travellers who need assistance while the Government of Canada\u2019s travel advisory offers Canadian advisors current safety guidance and information about regional precautions.<\/p>\n

\"Nazanin<\/p>\n

FAM trips and planning tools for Canadian advisors<\/p>\n

INGUAT\u2019s official website<\/a> offers destination information and interactive itinerary-planning tools, including AI-assisted features.<\/p>\n

The institute also organizes familiarization trips and maintains a list of registered destination management companies to help advisors arrange local experiences and transportation. Advisors can access additional destination training through Guatemala Insider.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe best way to really start selling Guatemala is to visit it and to see it for yourself,\u201d Whitbeck told PAX.<\/p>\n

He believes firsthand experiences can also help Canadians see a different side of the country.<\/p>\n

\u201cGuatemala\u2019s story has never been properly told, and that\u2019s what we\u2019re doing,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Don’t miss a single travel story: subscribe to PAX\u00a0<\/a>today! \u00a0Click here<\/a> to follow PAX on Facebook.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Guatemala is preparing to welcome more Canadian visitors as Air Canada launches year-round nonstop service from Toronto to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":948295,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[49,48,44],"class_list":["post-948294","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-canada","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/948294","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=948294"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/948294\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/948295"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=948294"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=948294"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=948294"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}