The Community of Madrid has participated in the inaugural flight by Iberia that directly connects the Spanish capital with the Canadian city of Toronto. This new route will operate with five weekly frequencies (Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays), offering a total of 37,000 seats between both destinations for the upcoming summer season.
The initiative aims to strengthen the region's international projection and is part of the joint actions between the regional government and the airline to attract visitors and economic activity. The Madrid delegation will use the trip to promote the Community's cultural, heritage, leisure offerings, and business opportunities during a meeting with specialized agencies, tour operators, economic representatives, and Canadian media.
The Deputy Minister of Culture, Tourism, and Sport, Luis Martín, highlighted that this advancement in Madrid's air connectivity is the result of collaboration between the regional government, the City Council of the capital, and the Madrid tourism sector within the framework of the Madrid Turismo by IFEMA project.
The Canadian market is highly relevant for the Community of Madrid, being the sixth-largest source of international travel spending. In 2025, over 100,000 Canadian tourists arrived at Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport, a 25% increase from the previous year. These visitors generated an economic impact of 134.3 million euros in the region, with an average spending per tourist and trip of 2,441 euros, figures above the international tourism average.
Martín emphasized that the new direct connection will contribute to maintaining and improving this upward trend. In the first four months of 2026, 22,621 Canadian travelers have visited the region, a 42.3% increase compared to the same period last year.
The Madrid Turismo by IFEMA project, a public-private collaboration launched in January 2022, aims to position the region as a long-haul tourist destination, optimizing resources and promotional actions. Improving connectivity with priority source markets, such as the United States, Mexico, and Southeast Asia, is one of its main pillars.
