5 Canadian Media Trends Spotted at TMAC

At the most recent Travel Media Association of Canada conference (TMAC) in Ontario in June, Canadian media shared the latest, newest, and most unexpected trends in 2023 and beyond. There was a lot to digest.

While there’s no one surefire trend to win over every single journalist and media professional, destinations need to know what’s changing. If you missed TMAC, don’t worry, we have you covered here with five big takeaways.

1. Press Trips Set the Precedent
Among the many Canadian media trends we heard discussed among participants and presentations during TMAC, the topic of press trips kept coming up – and they continue to be important. To write a story, the media are looking not only for a hosted press trip but are booking well into the future. That means planning at least 6-9 months before traveling to your destination.

If you’re looking to connect with Canadian travelers, then keep this in mind when trying to woo Canadian media. Plan far in advance if you want coverage to appear prior to key booking windows.

2. What is Sustainability, Really?
Most destinations these days say they are sustainable, but few managed to show it. Canadian media professionals are sick of sustainability being a buzzword. Journalists and content creators want to know what proactive measures destinations are actually doing to make their experiences more environmentally friendly. Greenwashing isn’t a good thing, so be sure you are avoiding it when pitching to eco-minded Canadian writers.

Be authentic with your sustainability efforts because the Canadian press can see right through any disingenuous efforts.

3. As the Tide Turns…
The traditional journalist is aging, and the shift of the outlets they write for has changed as well. Many reputable journalists that destinations worked with two decades ago are now writing for niche 55+ publications. Canada’s boomer market is a demographic that publicists need to consider more than ever. Remember that these readers have the money for travel and are still just as interested in angles from outdoor adventure to culinary, as their younger content creator counterparts.

Destinations looking to attract these higher-spending travelers need to make sure they are looking in the right place. And we don’t just mean in Canadian Denny’s around 4PM.

4. Been There, Wrote That
For the Canadian press, at least, it’s not all about general destination coverage anymore. If you want coverage, you need to pitch and present something more to get the editor and the reader interested. It can be very specific, like a new train route that is promoting accessibility across regions. It can be a story about a young upstart chef starting a new dining concept.

News, freshness, quirkiness, but above all, storytelling is what destinations need to embrace. It’s less a Canadian media trend than just good advice – after all, it’s what we at DCI do daily – but some destinations still want to get away with “the best things to do in…” and hope for the best. The internet is saturated with that sort of content. Media outlets want more.

5. Canadian Connections Matter
Canadians love reading about other Canadians, even when reading an aspirational destination story. Finding a connection between Canada and the story theme is important to capture the journalist’s attention. Look at your destination for a Canadian who moved there to open up a chocolate making shop. Or maybe it was a Canadian who traveled there for vacation, fell in love, and is now a proud expat doing bicycle tours. Look for someone from Canada who helped build a restaurant, or organized a major exhibition. Canadian media – and their audiences – are eager to know.

When in doubt, find some connection with Ryan Reynolds, and you’ll probably be set!

Looking for ways to respond better to Canadian media trends? Check out DCI’s research “Capturing the Canadian Consumer 2023” or get in touch with Tania Kedikian at tania.kedikian@aboutdci.com to learn more about how our agency’s marketing efforts can get your destination on every Canadian bucket list