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Total Expenditure in Alberta (2019)
Total Person-Visits to Alberta (2019)
Number of Passport Holders (2022)
Outbound Travellers (2021)
Potential visitors to Alberta (respondents who indicated they are definitely or very likely to visit Canada in the next two years)
Overview
Outbound travel fell to 62% below 2019 levels in 2021 due to worldwide border closures brought in to curtail COVID-19 infection rates. Recovery was underway throughout 2022 with United States outbound travel set to improve to 16% below 2019 levels. High inflation and weakening economic growth are likely to dampen the near-term travel recovery, however it is anticipated that outbound travel will return to 2019 levels by 2024.
On this page:
Competitor Comparison
Air Travel
Economic Indicators
Traveller Characteristics
Competitor Comparison
| Indicator | Quebec | Ontario | Alberta | BC | Canada |
| Visitation (2019) | 3.2 Million | 12.9 Million | 1.3 Million | 6.4 Million | 26.9 Million |
| Share of total national visitation (2019) | 12% | 48% | 5% | 24% | - |
| Expenditure (2019) | $1.9 Billion | $4.2 Billion | $995 Million | $3.1 Billion | $11.4 Billion |
| Share of total national expenditure (2019) | 17% | 37% | 9% | 27% | - |
| Average spend (2019) | $587 | $323 | $828 | $474 | $422 |
Air Travel
Economic Indicators
| Indicator | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
| GDP - per capita (US$) | $63,545 | $70,264 | $76,195 |
| GDP - YoY Growth Rate | -1.5% | 10.7% | 8.7% |
| Exchange Rate (CAD/USD) (annual average) | $1.34 | $1.25 | $1.30 |
| Unemployment Rate (annual average) | 8.1% | 5.4% | 3.7% |
| Inflation Rate (annual average) | 1.2% | 4.7% | 7.1%* |
*January 2022 - November 2022
Traveller Characteristics
| Accommodation Booking Channel | |
| Through an online booking engine | 50% |
| Online through a travel agent/tour operator | 37% |
| In-person through travel agent/tour operator | 17% |
| Directly through lodging/accommodation establishment | 35% |
| Through accommodation sharing services website | 21% |
| Length of Stay | |
| 1 night | 1% |
| 2-3 nights | 22% |
| 4-6 nights | 49% |
| 7-13 nights | 23% |
| 14+ nights | 5% |
Seasonality (2019)
Purpose of Visit (2019)
| Top Barriers to Travel | |
| Cost | 31% |
| Health risks | 27% |
| Poor weather | 24% |
| Safety concerns | 23% |
| Delays and hassles at airports and boarders | 18% |
| Unfavourable conditions for driving during the winter | 17% |
| Top 5 Trip Anchors | |
| Northern lights | 33% |
| Natural attractions like mountains or waterfalls | 32% |
| Nature parks | 25% |
| Hiking or walking in nature | 23% |
| Viewing wildlife or marine life | 23% |
Sources
Outbound travellers: U.S. Dep of Transportation, 2022
Passports in circulation: U.S. Dep of State, 2022
Competition comparison: Statistics Canada (VTS, 2019)
Seasonality and purpose of visit: Statistics Canada (VTS, 2019)
Air passengers: DIIO/Cirium (Monthly)