The Alberta Tourism Information Service (ATIS) is a free online marketing platform to help tourism businesses effectively promote their tourism products.
The business criteria described act as guidelines only and are by no means a definitive set of rules for posting to the ATIS system. Eligibility is ultimately at the discretion of the ATIS governing committee who will review all listing submissions on a case-by-case basis.
This is business criteria document is periodically reviewed, updated and amended.
For more information on ATIS please visit industry.travelalberta.com/ATIS
Please direct all related inquiries to atissupport@travelalberta.com
ATIS ACCOUNTS
What is an account? An ATIS account allows a tourism business to enter and manage listings, events, offers, articles and account details. An ATIS account is required by all users of ATIS.
ATIS LISTINGS
What is a listing? An ATIS listing is defined as information about an Alberta tourism product that is relevant to the leisure traveller. Tourism product entered into ATIS must operate within Alberta, with the following exceptions:
- Applicable travel trade organizations who sell Alberta tourism products but whose business address may not be in Alberta, can create a listing in order to allow them to create ATIS offers.
- Guided operators who offer tours in Alberta, but have an address outside of Alberta, may also be eligible.
LISTING INCLUSION CRITERIA
In order to be considered for approval, a proposed listing must meet all of the following inclusion criteria:
- It is market ready
- It is a tourism product
- It provides a service to the leisure traveller
- It has an Alberta business address
- It can be correctly classified under an existing ATIS listing category
- None of the ATIS listing exclusion criteria (see below) apply
- To qualify for a listing in the Arts & Performing Arts or the Sports Event category, the proposed listing must meet all the listing inclusion criteria and:
- Be a professional or semi-professional organization
- Manage and run an event, production or festival that produces a minimum of one regularly scheduled ticketed event per year with a combined attendance capacity of at least 500 for the duration of the activity
Event-focused organizations that do not qualify for a business listing under these categories may still enter individual events as long as they qualify under the Events Inclusion Criteria (see below)
LISTING EXCLUSION CRITERIA
If a proposed listing meets any of the following exclusion criteria, it will not be approved:
- The product is travel insurance
- The product is an online or virtual service that does not have a physical premises
- The product is a chain restaurant or retail outlet with more than 9 locations. To qualify the establishment must be Alberta-based
ATIS EVENTS
An event occurs in a certain place during a specific interval of time. Events can be organized as a single event or a series of events and should have a spectator component. Regularly occurring, weekly, biweekly or monthly events that exceed a period of four months must have an element that varies per occurrence in order to be considered an event.
EVENT INCLUSION CRITERIA
In order to be considered for approval, a proposed event must meet all of the following inclusion criteria:
- It is market ready
- It is a tourism product
- It takes place as one single organized event or as a series of organized events over a short period of time.
- The event takes place within Alberta.
- Event should be able to draw visitors on its own merit and is not geared mainly toward local residents (i.e. a community breakfast).(ie Tourism experience)
- It can be correctly classified under an existing ATIS event category.
- The event has a spectator component.
- The event is a holiday or seasonal event (such as Canada Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, etc.) with a varied program of events or entertainment.
- None of the ATIS event exclusion criteria apply.
EVENT EXCLUSION CRITERIA
If a proposed event meets any of the following exclusion criteria, it will not be approved:
- The event is a frequently recurring activity (e.g., a weekly guided tour). Weekly guided tours are more suitable as an Offer
- The event does not have a physical location (e.g., an online or virtual event)
- The event is a garage sale or other retail sale. An event such as a Christmas Craft Show can be included if there at least two additional activities offered as part of the craft sale that would be considered a tourism draw (sleigh rides, food vendors, light shows, etc.)
- The event is a trade show
- The event is a seasonal camp
- The event is a religious service
- The event is trade-focused
- The sole purpose of the event is for fundraising and the event does not have a spectator component that appeals to a general audience
- The event is a food sale or happy hour
- The event is a K-12 school event or performance (national or international level championships may be exempt). Otherwise, sporting or performing arts events must be produced by a professional or semi-professional organization
ATIS OFFERS
OFFER INCLUSION CRITERIA
In order to be considered for approval, a proposed offer must meet all of the following inclusion criteria:
- It can be correctly associated to at least one approved ATIS listing
- It is market ready
- It is a tourism product
- For packaged offers, a minimum of sixty per cent of the experience must take place in Alberta (in days)
