Jagmeet Singh, the former federal NDP leader who resigned after his party's historic defeat in the 2025 election, is reportedly being considered for the role of chief executive officer of Destination Canada, the country's national tourism marketing agency . The potential appointment has already sparked sharp criticism from opposition parties and industry insiders, who question Singh's lack of experience in tourism or marketing .

The Reported Appointment

CTV News first broke the story, citing sources familiar with the process, that Singh is a leading candidate to head the federal Crown corporation, which operates under the Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada portfolio . Destination Canada is responsible for marketing Canada as a travel destination and supporting the country's tourism industry, which generates billions of dollars in economic activity annually . The compensation for the CEO of a federal Crown corporation can reach as high as $350,000 per year . The potential appointment comes after Singh became eligible for his federal parliamentary pension following years as an MP .

Supporters of Singh's possible appointment point to his strong public profile, communication skills, and social media presence, arguing that those qualities could help strengthen Canada's international tourism brand in a highly competitive global market .

Industry and Political Backlash

The prospect of Singh leading Destination Canada has drawn immediate and sharp criticism. A senior tourism industry source told CTV News that the potential appointment would be "an insult, both to the industry and to the organization itself" . The source emphasized that "this is not a roving diplomatic appointment" but rather "a marketing organization that is responsible for a billion dollars' worth of economic activity in Canada" .

Columnist Brian Lilley of the Toronto Sun has been particularly vocal in questioning Singh's qualifications . Lilley noted that Marsha Walden, who recently stepped down as president and CEO of Destination Canada, brought decades of marketing and tourism experience to the role—as do her counterparts in countries like the United States, France, Britain, Japan, and Australia . In contrast, Singh's resume includes work as a criminal defence lawyer and a career in politics, with no meaningful tourism or marketing experience .

Singh's Political Record

Singh served as leader of the NDP from 2017 to 2025 and as the MP for Burnaby South from 2019 to 2025 . He played a pivotal role in keeping former prime minister Justin Trudeau in power through a confidence-and-supply agreement following the 2021 election . The deal, reached in March 2022, saw New Democrats support the Liberals on key confidence votes in exchange for some NDP priorities, allowing the Trudeau government to remain in power until the agreement ended in 2024 .

However, the 2025 federal election proved disastrous for the NDP under Singh's leadership. The party suffered its worst-ever federal election result, lost official party status in Parliament, and Singh resigned as leader on election night . Critics have now pointed to that record, with one columnist writing that "he couldn't even sell his own party to voters when the Liberals were incredibly unpopular" .

What's Next

As of now, no official announcement has been made regarding the appointment, and neither representatives for Singh nor the federal government have publicly confirmed the reports . Singh did not respond to requests for comment from CTV News .

If confirmed, Singh would take over leadership of Destination Canada at a time when countries are competing aggressively to attract global travellers, and the decision is likely to spark further political debate over the selection process and the qualifications required to lead Canada's national tourism marketing agency .