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Alberta’s tourism minister says more than doubling tourism spending in the province in just over a decade is achievable under the government’s new tourism strategy.

Alberta’s tourism spending reached $10.7 billion in 2022, an increase of $600 million from 2019 levels, according to the province. Through its new strategy, the Alberta government has set a goal of reaching $25 billion in annual visitor expenditures by 2035. The strategy focuses on five pillars: leadership and alignment, competitive product, people and careers, expansion of access and Indigenous tourism.

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“As a government, we’re putting together this plan so that we actually have a path towards that $35 billion,” said Joseph Schow, Alberta’s tourism and sport minister, during a Tuesday interview with Postmedia. “It’s just not going to happen on its own, so with a little bit of support from the government and the five pillars and strategy we’ll get there, no question.”

Travel Alberta, which in 2021 changed its mandate from a marketing to a destination management organization, has a key role to play in growing visitor spending in the province, said Schow.

“That shift in mandate and increase in budget has allowed them to seek out tourism products that are worthy of being invested in around the province, help with the business owners of those products through their business plans and their marketing, really getting those products on the world stage and then giving us an opportunity to go overseas to market those products,” he said.

Alberta is already seeing the results of this work, with tourism spending having already recovered from the pandemic, said Schow. Most of the tourism spending that has helped Alberta recover to pre-pandemic levels has been provincial and Canadian visitor travel, he added.

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“The piece that we are missing that is beginning to come back now is the European traveller, this high-spending traveller,” said Alberta’s tourism minister. “The kinds of people who come to Alberta, they stay longer, they spend more, they’re staying in hotels, they’re eating in restaurants, they’re buying in local stores.”

Air access important to growing tourism

Air access plays an important part in getting those travellers to the province, and that has improved, said Schow, with direct flights being added from places such as France, Germany, Japan, Korea and Italy.

“With that air access, we’re already seeing more travellers coming over here, and it’s been tremendously successful for us so far,” he said.

Regional air access, also important to the province’s strategy, is mentioned in at least four of Premier Danielle Smith’s mandate letters to her ministers, said Schow.

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“All of us have a mandate to help work with regional airports so their access is sustainable and stable, and that way our tourism strategy can be successful as we get people disbursed throughout the province and not just heading to the destinations of Banff, Jasper and Lake Louise,” he said.

Travel Alberta’s 2024 budget of nearly $80 million includes $5 million to implement supporting air access, said Schow. That work involves working with the airlines, ensuring that their routes are sustainable and that marketing is done properly so that the demand is there, he said.

“And as a result of that, since 2020 Travel Alberta has generated just under 600,000 incremental air seats in the province,” said Schow.

Through Travel Alberta, the province has developed 10 destination zones located within roughly two hours of an airport and hopes to create “clusters” of tourism attractions that allow visitors to stay longer and spend more, said Schow.

“Everybody has unique products to offer, and Travel Alberta’s job is to work with those areas, work with the business owners, invest in these products they feel have a lot of value to the international traveller or local traveller, and in doing that it helps us have more people in the province not just concentrated in one area.”

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Tourism industry a ‘happening place to be’

To attract workers for specific roles in the industry, the province has created a tourism and hospitality stream within the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program.

“We also are working … with post-secondaries as we look to create more spots in universities and drive students who are going through their respective programs into the tourism sector,” said Schow.

Schow said there’s a wide range of careers available in the tourism sector, ranging from accountants to chefs.

“It’s also a great time — the tourism sector is a happening place to be,” said Alberta’s tourism minister. “So creating that demand and streaming students and new Canadians coming into the province into tourism I think is a win for the province.”

Indigenous tourism to play a big part in visitor growth

The potential to increase Indigenous tourism is “in the billions,” said Schow.

“Having been over to showcase Canada in Hamburg, Germany, last November, we heard loud and clear that two-thirds of visitors coming to Canada from overseas want an authentic Indigenous experience,” he said.

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From 2021-26, the province is providing over $8.5 million to Indigenous Tourism Alberta.

“We know that that investment, the highest investment in the country for Indigenous tourism, will have a major return on investment,” said Schow.

Tourism done in a ‘very sustainable’ way

Schow called the province’s tourism strategy a “very responsible, measured way to move ahead with tourism without significant destruction to the environment and climate.”

“In fact, one of the best ways to manage the environment properly is to make sure that we’re using it properly and we’re keeping a good relationship with the local communities and the environment there,” said Schow. “It also obviously comes down to the kinds of products we’re developing, but again it’s all done in a very sustainable manner.”

Minister ‘all ears’ about bringing sporting events to Alberta

The province is always looking to bring sporting events to Alberta, said Schow, sitting in his Edmonton office and looking at a Canada jersey for the 2027 World Junior Hockey Championships to be hosted in Alberta.

“Sport and tourism really come well together, and any time you have a chance to bid on something that’s a good deal for the province of Alberta, and will fill hotel rooms, I’m all ears,” he said.

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