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Published: September 24, 2025
Tourism operators have chosen Alberta as their destination for strategic expansion in North America. They are capitalizing on the province's low taxes, stunning locations with international connectivity, record-breaking visitor demand, and an incredible depth of data and market insights available through Travel Alberta’s Investor Concierge.
Home to some of the world’s most iconic natural landscapes, Alberta is in Western Canada, directly north of Montana. It’s just a three-hour direct flight from Los Angeles or nine hours from London. The energy-rich province is nearly the size of Texas and is more than twice the area of the United Kingdom.
Positioned as a gateway to the Canadian Rockies, Alberta is home to the globally recognized mountain destinations of Banff, Jasper, and Lake Louise. It’s also the site of more-hidden gems, including the otherworldly Canadian Badlands, the adventure-ready Northern Rockies, and the serene Foothills, one of Hollywood’s favourite Western backdrops.
The province's international airports in Calgary and Edmonton offer direct access to major markets and its highway network supports high visitor volumes year-round.
With an ambitious plan to double visitor spend to $25 billion by 2035, Alberta’s commitment to tourism growth is backed by Travel Alberta’s Investor Concierge team. The Investor Concierge guides tourism operators through key project phases, including market intelligence and site selection, regulatory navigation, and partnership facilitation.
Alberta is home to one of North America’s lowest corporate tax rates and the lowest personal tax rates in the country. Furthermore, in Alberta, there is no provincial sales tax—compared with sales taxes in Ontario, British Columbia, and Quebec, which range from 7% to nearly 10%. These tax advantages have multiple benefits, including increasing travellers' spending power while simultaneously reducing operating costs.
The province’s young, diverse, and highly educated workforce provides an affluent regional market for tourism experiences and a capable talent pool for hiring across all roles.
After comprehensive research analyzing over 35 different performance criteria, along with engagement of more than 1,000 stakeholders, Travel Alberta identified 10 Tourism Development Zones (TDZs) across the province with growth potential in the coming decade.
The opportunities in these emerging and established tourism regions are ready to be explored. Through our Investor Concierge, operators can access key connections and insights to make an informed next step faster and even more confidently.
Alberta is ready for tourism investment now. Alberta’s tourism sector is experiencing remarkable momentum. In 2024, the province welcomed a record 38.1 million visitors, generating $14.4 billion in tourism expenditures—a 12% increase year-over-year.
Domestic travellers accounted for the majority of visits to Alberta, while international visitation surged, with 1.4 million U.S. visitors and 1 million overseas travellers arriving. In 2024, Alberta led the nation in growth across every visitor segment, driven by strong demand for leisure travel, longer stays, and higher average spend—particularly from U.S. markets. For operators, this means a ready-built market thriving from visitation across multiple source markets and therefore positioned to capitalize on the ebbs and flows of travel demand throughout the year.
Whether you're looking to expand your flagship experience into Alberta, capitalize on a thriving year-round destination, or just ready to learn more about the opportunity, our team is ready to support your next chapter.
Connect with Travel Alberta’s Investor Concierge Team to request data and insights, and more.
