Travel Brands in Canada

The Travel industry in Canada holds a unique position within the GCBI. While it may not be as emotionally salient as categories like Retail or FMCG, it is still central to how Canadians perceive national infrastructure, hospitality, and public service. Among the top brands in this category, VIA Rail ranks highest in overall brand perception. It performs particularly well in respectful, honest, and tolerant, indicating that Canadians view it as a service that prioritizes fairness and dignity, even if it doesn’t necessarily evoke strong feelings of friendliness or adventurousness. VIA Rail’s status as a publicly funded and historically rooted brand likely contributes to its aura of civic responsibility, which remains a key driver of its relatively positive GCBI profile.

Close behind VIA Rail are brands like Air Canada and WestJet, both of which carry the burden of high visibility and high expectations. While these airlines are trusted in terms of reach and capability, their scores in dimensions like honest and respectful tend to be more variable—likely due to ongoing frustrations with pricing, flight delays, and customer service inconsistencies. The pandemic and post-pandemic travel disruptions placed these brands under intense scrutiny, with media coverage often amplifying consumer dissatisfaction. Still, both brands maintain strong name recognition and are often seen as symbols of national mobility, despite the emotional distance many Canadians feel toward them.

The Travel industry overall tends to score lower in friendly and nice, revealing a key gap between utility and emotional engagement. Unlike brands in FMCG or Coffee, travel brands aren't part of Canadians’ daily lives—they enter the picture during moments of stress, planning, or disruption. As such, brands that can demonstrate empathy, clear communication, and ethical responsiveness during these moments stand to gain the most. Canadians seem to reward not just reliability, but how a brand supports them through high-stakes experiences like cancellations, safety issues, or family travel logistics.

To improve their standing in the GCBI, travel brands must humanize their services and emphasize accessibility, honesty, and empathy. Canadians expect their travel brands to do more than move them—they want to feel heard, respected, and supported along the way. In a sector where experiences can either elevate or ruin someone’s plans, emotional intelligence and transparency matter just as much as infrastructure. Brands that lean into these values won’t just rise in public esteem—they’ll earn loyalty during the moments that matter most.