by Bert Archer
Last updated: 9:30 AM ET, Mon October 12, 2026
Justin Trudeau was the star speaker at the 26th annual WTTC Summit in Valletta, Malta this past week. He spoke Friday with WTTC president and CEO Gloria Guevara, who asked him about his time as prime minister, his thoughts on the role of government in travel, and the one place he’d advise everyone to visit in Canada.
Trudeau was surprisingly candid at times, so much so that, at one point, Guevara cut him off when he was getting a little too real about Trump and the US-Canada relationship.
Here are a few of of the things he said :
On travel and tourism as an employment sector :
“If you compare a job in hospitality or tourism to a job, I don't know, working in a in an office as a receptionist in your dad's dental office or whatever for a summer, like the experience is so much deeper for young people that it shapes the kinds of adults they're going to be in meeting new people and seeing difference, even when they're working at home as tourists.
“But then, more than that, just not just the jobs, not just the the raw numbers. There's a tendency right now in countries around the world, and we're seeing it to greater or lesser degrees in certain countries, of governments that are encouraging people to look inwards, to turn inwards, to go to go a little more insular and be mistrustful or in opposition to the rest of the world. That's not necessarily a productive path for the world, and the best counter to that is tourism….
“It's getting to know people who are different. It's wanting to travel, being curious about the world, being empathetic, being open to differences – these are the instincts that people need to be developing, and this is something that makes your industry so incredibly important right now.”
On tourism and international relations :
“It's not just about scenery. It's not just about about prices and costs and how expensive a place is. It's also the reputation, how a place feels, how people are welcomed or not. And the past number of years, the U.S. hasn't been very good at making travellers feel welcome.
“Whether it's the thickening of the borders, the worries about what what can happen if you get arrested at the border, the many, many Canadians who were worried about about crossing the U.S. border for the first time ever, because you know, for decades, generations, Canadians and Americans crisscrossing our shared border – the longest unmilitarized border in the world – has been something we almost took for granted. And the family and personal and business connections have been huge and strong over the past years.
“There's been a level of of anxiety about traveling to the United States that has impacted on Canadians. But more, this disrespect that the president has shown towards Canada in terms of, you know, saying it's not a real country has led Canadians… [Guevara tries to break in] Sorry, do you want to speak?”
On the one place visitors to Canada should visit :
“We have mountains. We have lakes. We have an incredible Arctic that is still being being developed. But the best thing about Canada is Canadians. [Spontaneous applause from several hundred delegates and media] Wherever you go in Canada, you'll find Canadians. But my recommendation would be come to Montreal. It's my hometown. The mayor there is our former tourism minister, and she's wonderful. But Montrealers, we love good restaurants. We love art. We fill our summers with festivals. Winter, it's worth coming to see for the snow. Anyway, come to Montreal. It's a beautiful city, and it's my home town.”
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