Report: Resident Sentiment

Key findings

• Strong community pride: Residents are highly engaged in local activities, events, and attractions, with strong ratings for quality of life, recreation, and employment optimism.
• Tourism value feels less local: Residents recognize tourism’s broader importance, but its benefits to Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo are less visible than its impact on Alberta and Canada.
• Awareness gap: Familiarity with the tourism sector is below the provincial average, and most residents do not have a direct connection to the industry.
• Events are the opportunity: Residents see the strongest value in developing events and festivals, followed by local food and beverage experiences.
• Growth needs balance: Support for tourism is positive, but residents are more aware of potential pressure on the environment and local infrastructure.

Key findings

• Growing local support: Residents are increasingly positive about tourism, with many seeing the benefits outweighing the downsides.
• Comfort with growth: Many residents are open to welcoming more visitors, suggesting a strong foundation for future tourism development.
• Shared-value amenities: Family-friendly attractions, events and festivals, and food and beverage districts are seen as the most valuable areas for investment.
• Culture and safety considerations: Residents are more likely than others in the province to raise concerns about personal safety and preserving local culture as tourism grows.
• Economic role emerging: Tourism is still seen as secondary to industries like oil and gas and agriculture, but more residents are recognizing its contribution to local business, employment and future growth.

Key findings

• Strong pride, selective participation: Residents feel positive about local offerings, but participation in community activities is lower than the provincial average.
• High development appetite: Family-friendly attractions, events and festivals, recreation facilities, and outdoor/agri-tourism experiences are clear priorities for residents.
• Awareness gap: Lowest local tourism importance ratings across all TDZs, with many residents lacking a deeper understanding of tourism’s economic and community role.
• Cautious optimism: Residents are open to more visitors, but concerns around traffic, infrastructure, and pressure on amenities remain higher than in other regions.

Key findings

• Benefits are clear: Residents strongly recognize tourism’s positive impact on the local economy, recreation, leisure, and employment.
• Environmental concern: Residents are more worried than other Alberta markets about tourism’s impact on the natural environment and local infrastructure.
• Support is conditional: Most see tourism as important, but support could soften if issues like crowding, safety, and environmental protection are not addressed.
• Economic potential rising: Tourism is increasingly seen as a top sector for future economic growth in David Thompson.
• Experience-first growth: Residents want more outdoor, adventure and family-friendly experiences, not just higher visitor volume.

Key findings

• Tourism confidence is growing: Residents are increasingly positive about tourism and more likely to recognize its importance to the community.
• Economic role emerging: Tourism is still seen as secondary to oil and gas and agriculture, but residents are starting to connect it more clearly to local economic benefits.
• Local pride strengthening: Residents increasingly feel their region offers notable experiences and are more willing to share them with others.
• Infrastructure concerns: Most residents see tourism’s benefits as outweighing the negatives, but concerns around pressure on local infrastructure and amenities are higher than the provincial average.
• Selective participation: Residents are becoming more selective in how they engage with local activities, attractions and events, which could affect community vibrancy over time.

Key findings

• Tourism value is rising: Residents are increasingly recognizing tourism as an important contributor to the local economy and community prosperity.
• Growth hesitation remains: Support for welcoming more visitors is improving, but concerns around infrastructure, environment, and housing continue to shape resident caution.
• Outdoor and local experiences resonate: Events, festivals, and outdoor recreation are valued for their role in quality of life and community identity.
• Selective participation: Residents rate recreation and leisure positively, but participation in local activities remains selective.
• Regenerative tourism opportunity: Residents show stronger interest in tourism that protects, restores, and preserves the local environment.

Key findings

• Support is strong and growing: Residents increasingly see tourism as important and are generally open to welcoming more visitors.
• Tourism adds vibrancy: Residents connect tourism to the local economy, recreation and leisure, though broader quality of life and amenity ratings remain below Alberta averages.
• Complementary economic role: Tourism is viewed as a growth opportunity, but agriculture remains the region’s core economic anchor.
• Authentic experiences matter: Events, festivals, family-friendly attractions, recreation facilities, and agri-tourism are clear priorities for future investment.
• Growth needs planning: Traffic, parking, infrastructure, environmental impacts, and housing are the main pressure points to manage as visitation grows.

Key findings

• Strong tourism support: Residents are positive about tourism, broadly welcoming to visitors, and more likely than other regions to report few tourism-related challenges.
• Shared amenities matter: Events, festivals, family-friendly attractions, food and beverage districts, and sport/recreation facilities are top priorities for future investment.
• Recreation gap emerging: Quality of liferemains above the provincial average, but residents report declining access to recreation and leisure opportunities.
• Visitor confidence remains high: Despite recreation concerns, residents still believe the Foothills offers strong, enjoyable experiences for visitors.
• Complementary economic role: Tourism is recognized for supporting jobs, businesses, and local activity, but is still viewed as secondary to oil and gas and agriculture for future growth.

Key findings

• Tourism value is growing: Residents increasingly see tourism as important to their community, with strong recognition of its economic and recreation benefits.
• Support for visitors is high: Most residents are comfortable welcoming more visitors, reflecting positive overall sentiment toward tourism growth.
• Traffic is a key concern: Residents are more likely than others in Alberta to cite traffic congestion as a potential challenge tied to increased visitation.
• Economic role strengthening: Tourism is still seen as secondary to oil and gas and agriculture, but confidence in its long-term growth potential is increasing.
• Authentic development opportunity: Family-friendly attractions, events, outdoor activities, and agri-tourism are top priorities, with an opportunity to build on the region’s agricultural roots.

Key findings

• Tourism support is strong: Residents recognize tourism as important to the Southern Rockies and remain broadly open to welcoming more visitors.
• Economic value is clear: Tourism is seen as a meaningful contributor to the local economy, with strong confidence in its positive impact.
• Pressure points remain: Environmental impact, affordability and housing availability are more pronounced concerns than in other parts of Alberta.
• Events and dining matter: Residents prioritize local events, festivals, and food and beverage experiences that enhance both community life and visitor appeal.
• Complementary economic role: Tourism is valued, but residents see it as part of a broader economy alongside agriculture, oil and gas, and renewable energy.