Ontario Travel & Tourism Monthly (OTTM) is a CRG and Destination Ontario research study tracking Ontario’s tourism landscape. Built specifically for Ontario, it delivers monthly metrics on economics, social factors, safety, climate, AI usage, and more across priority domestic and international markets.
With roughly 2,000 travellers surveyed each month — 24,000 annually — OTTM helps the Ontario tourism sector spot emerging trends, anticipate shifts, and make proactive decisions in a fast-moving market.
Highlights from the May 2026 Report:
- Travel Intent Holds Steady as Summer Peaks Interest in travelling to Ontario remained stable across most markets and continues to be strongest among Ontario residents, who have trended gradually upward since December 2025, with Quebec travellers following a similar path. Summer intent is concentrated in July and August, while September gains momentum as travellers eye early fall trips. Toronto and the Niagara Region lead destinations under consideration for the eleventh consecutive month.
- Brand Perception Remains Positive and Stable Ontario continues to rate positively as a pleasure travel destination across all markets, with particularly strong appeal among domestic travellers and U.S. Fly visitors. Net Promoter Scores held steady this wave, with Ontario residents showing the strongest advocacy, and perceived value remained highest on product quality, safety, environment, and service quality.
- AI in Travel Planning Continues to Take Hold About three in ten travellers who searched for travel information reported using AI tools. ChatGPT remains the dominant platform, used to research attractions, discover destination ideas, and get general travel advice — a pattern consistent for eleven consecutive months.
- Cost Pressures Mount, With Transportation a Growing Concern Cost remained the leading barrier to travelling to Ontario for the eleventh consecutive month, cited by half of all travellers. High transportation costs rose significantly this wave to become the second-ranked barrier overall, with the increase notable in both U.S. Drive and U.S. Fly markets, suggesting fuel and airfare pressures are broadening beyond Canadian travellers.
- U.S.–Canada Relations Show Gradual Improvement Following a low point in March 2026, expectations for the U.S.–Canada relationship continued to recover toward earlier levels. U.S. travellers held the most optimistic outlook, and Canada continued to rank as the most welcoming country among U.S. travellers.
- FIFA 2026 Awareness Builds Awareness that Toronto is a FIFA World Cup 2026 host city increased this month, particularly among Ontario residents. Outside the GTA, U.S. Fly travellers were the most likely to say the tournament motivates a visit to Toronto, with close to half expressing that intent.
Download the May 2026 Ontario Travel & Tourism Monthly report and more studies on the Destination Ontario Insights Portal.
