Cowboys and Cowgirls? Check.
Bustling cities? You betcha.
Bodacious barbeque? You better believe it.
Texas is famous for a lot of things, but there’s far more going on in this state than many people might realize. It’s also one of the easiest U.S. destinations for Canadians to reach.
Travel Texas rode into Toronto recently for a series of meetings with trade partners and a fun evening at a downtown bar. Five representatives also sat down for a chat with Open Jaw about what’s new and great in the Lone Star State.
“The Canadian market is huge for us,” said Debra Bustos, economic development and tourism representative for the Office of the Governor of Texas.
Bustos said 582,000 Canadians visited Texas in 2023. That’s a big jump from the roughly 500,000 who arrived in 2019. And it makes Canada the state’s number two source of international visitors, with Mexico obviously taking the top spot.
Bustos noted that Air Canada recently started flying between Montreal and Austin. There are also flights to Texas cities from YYZ, YVR and YYC.
One of the big deals in Texas this year is that fussy eaters are dining around the state as they prepare the first Michelin Guide to Texas restaurants. The guide, to be released later this year, will look at restaurants in Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio and Austin.
Representatives of four Texas cities made the trek north of the border to talk with the trade and with travel media on 25JUL: Dallas, San Antonio, Lubbock and Laredo. Here’s a look at all four.
DALLAS
Zane Harrington, Director of Communications, Visit Dallas, said there are 11 flights a day from Canada to DFW, including five from YYZ with American Airlines and Air Canada.
He said that Dallas is set to become the third most populous city in the U.S. because of its rapid growth, and its cuisine is from every corner of the globe.
Sports tourism is huge these days, and Dallas is home to eight professional sports teams, including the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL, the Dallas Stars of the NHL, and the Dallas Mavericks of the NBA. Major League Baseball’s Texas Rangers play just outside of town in Arlington.
Harrington said the city will also host nine World Cup football/soccer matches in 2026, including one of the semifinal games.
A new InterContinental will open at Cityplace Tower in Uptown next year, while a Four Seasons is slated for opening in Turtle Creek in 2027. The Knox, Auberge Resorts, is scheduled to open on Knox Street in 2026.
A new Universal theme park that’s specifically designed for younger children is set to open in 2026 in nearby Frisco, Texas.
Dallas is home to the largest state fair in the U.S., while the Dallas Arts District is said to be the largest urban arts district (118 acres) in the U.S.
DFW is the third busiest airport in the world, Harrington said, and it was recently named best large airport in the U.S. by Airports Council International.
Need more? Dallas claims to be the home of the world’s first convenience store, a 7-Eleven in 1927, and the world’s first frozen margarita machine (1971). The integrated computer chip, now called a microchip, was invented here in 1958 by an engineer at Texas Instruments.
SAN ANTONIO
Dee Dee Poteete, the irrepressible Director of Regional Communications for Visit San Antonio, said her city received tremendous exposure from hosting IPW last year, which got rave reviews from attendees.
Poteete said a new visitor centre and museum will open at the Alamo in 2027. The facility will include a 4D theatre, special event space, rooftop restaurant, and retail space, and will be home to the entire Phil Collins Texana Collection, the famous singer and drummer being a huge collector of Alamo memorabilia.
Many folks aren’t aware, but the Alamo is one of five Spanish missions in the city. We suspect the others are a tad less crowded than the Alamo.
Some 20 new hotels are on the way for San Antonio, which is already a very big destination for conventions.
Fiesta San Antonio is a massive festival that’s held in the city every spring. Poteete said San Antonio also is home to the largest Day of the Dead celebration outside Mexico City, complete with special floats on the city’s famous river.
One terrific attraction is Morgan’s Wonderland, billed as the first-ever theme park designed specifically for people with disabilities. The park has more than 25 accessible rides, playscapes, and interactive elements.
Hotel Emma has been voted one of the most beautiful hotels in the U.S. and is located in the lively, pedestrian-friendly Pearl District. The nearby San Antonio Museum of Art might be the most underrated art museum in the country.
San Antonio is also a great gateway to Texas Hill Country, where you’ll find very good wineries, engaging, walkable cities such as Fredericksburg, and the country music mecca of Luckenbach.
LAREDO
Located on the banks of the Rio Grande, Laredo was founded in 1755, which makes it older than the U.S. It also declared itself an independent nation in 1840, said Aileen Ramos, director of the Laredo Convention and Visitors Bureau.
“We were our own country for 248 days, but we ran out of money,” she said with a smile.
It’s a major centre for outdoor enthusiasts and is on the north-south bird migration path and also the Monarch Butterly migration route.
Ramos said the city is 96% Hispanic, so they like to call their cuisine “Mex-Tex.”
Some 4,000 new hotel rooms are on the way, she said.
One of the top attractions is La India Packing Co., a 100-year-old restaurant located inside a rich-smelling herb and spice store.
Fun fact: Laredo is home to the Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos (Laredo Owls), a Mexico Baseball League team that plays half its games in Laredo and half in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico.
LUBBOCK
This is a growing city in the panhandle region of North Texas that was the home of one of America’s top pop/rock stars.
“We like to say we’re in the middle of everywhere,” said McKenna Dowdle, media relations and communications manager for Market Lubbock.
Known as “The Hub City,” Lubbock is located at 3,500 feet of elevation, which makes it great for growing wine grapes. She said that local wineries specialize in European varietals such as Sangiovese and Albarino.
It’s also the hometown of legendary singer/songwriter Buddy Holly, and there’s a Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts and Sciences for live music and Broadway productions. Dowdle said the city has more live music venues per capita than any city in Texas.
A tornado wiped out downtown Lubbock in the 1970s, but local authorities started a major rebuilding program some years ago. The bustling downtown is now home to various restaurants and shops and is a popular spot for students at nearby Texas Tech University.
Downtown is also where you’ll find the boutique Cotton Court Hotel, designed to emphasize the area’s importance to the Texas cotton industry. Dowdle said a new hotel is being fashioned out of an old jail and that the city also has an art gallery housed in a former fire station.
In addition, Lubbock is on historic Route 66 (which turns 100 years old in 2026) and is only a 90-minute drive from Palo Duro Canyon, the second-biggest canyon in the U.S.
