Building on the 2021-24 Bootstrap Plan, Travel Alberta’s 2022-25 Business Plan will guide our work over the next three years. As the Government of Alberta’s provincial destination management organization, we will continue to prioritize the immediate needs of partners while positioning the province for a prosperous future by capitalizing on opportunities to capture new market share.
Not all travellers are created equal
Growing our share of the market is not just about the number of visitors, but about the segment of visitors. On average, international visitors spend four times more than regional visitors, and Americans are our best repeat customers.
As travel resumes, our focus will be on attracting these high-value visitors (those who spend more time, more money and visit more often year-round) through laser-focused marketing efforts, differentiating ourselves with a renewed focus on Alberta’s people and personality. As destinations seek to leverage pent-up demand, global competition is fierce. Ensuring Alberta stands out from the crowd has never been more important.
Recognizing the interdependencies of our business plan’s strategic pillars (marketing, access, place), we will continue to work with airlines and airports to ensure visitors have easy and convenient access to our province from the regions we’re marketing to.
While marketing and access efforts will grow demand, supply must be available to meet demand. High-value visitors want high-quality experiences. To stay competitive, we must continually enhance and add to our offerings.
Enhancing the traveller experience
Over the next three years, we will invest more than $18.5M annually to enhance and develop new tourism products and experiences. Bolstering supply for the long-term and working with economic development bodies, businesses and governments to accelerate investments will ensure Alberta continues to have desirable travel experiences that meet the ever-changing needs of visitors.
We will strategically invest in destinations and experiences with the greatest potential for a high return. We’ve identified ten potential tourism traveller corridors across the province for destination development, based on economic growth potential and job creation. Other criteria used to assess potential included existing marketable experiences, dedicated destination organizations, government and community support, and a critical mass of private sector investment potential.
Our holistic approach to destination development recognizes that the tourism ecosystem is complex and multi-faceted. Building a resilient visitor economy requires the efforts of many and collaboration will be key to success. That’s why we’re committed to working with community leaders, local destination organizations, and tourism businesses in the travel corridors over the next three years to create a unified approach to sustainable development.
Recovery and growth
The recovery and growth of Alberta’s visitor economy drives everything we do. Currently, Alberta is on track to return to pre-pandemic visitor spending levels by 2024, in alignment with the Bootstrap Plan. And forecasts indicate that the visitor economy has potential to double in the following 10 years. That’s good news for all Albertans in terms of job creation, business support and spending – collectively contributing to our province’s economy and diversification.
While we know there are still challenges ahead, we look forward to working with industry to further bolster the tourism sector as it continues to gain strength and build momentum.
