Who are Alberta's Ultimate Travellers?
Not all travellers are created equal.
Meet Alberta’s High Value Travellers – the types of travellers likely to spend more per visit, yield the highest return on investment and make the greatest contribution to the province’s economic growth.
Informed by a wealth of psychographic, demographic and socioeconomic data, we’ve built personas that highlight the traits of two types of high value travellers. These “Curious Adventurers” and “Hotspot Hunters” represent our ideal types of leisure travellers – defined by their behaviours before, during, and after their visit.
Tourism businesses, communities and associations can attract these potentially valuable visitor markets by tailoring products and experiences to their unique travel styles. Scroll down to learn more about Alberta’s Ultimate Travellers and how to best reach them.
Curious Adventurers
Curious Adventurers travel to get a different perspective on the world. They’re energized by exploring new places and inspired to learn all they can about a destination through its landscapes, authentic culture and the people they meet.
Spontaneous and open-minded, they are fueled by a sense of adventure and discovery, knowing these organic moments can provide their best experiences. They are thoughtful planners, investing time before their trip to help forge deeper connections with a place.
Markets
Curious adventurers can be found around the globe. The recommended focus for Team Alberta is Alberta, Canada and the U.S.
Interests
Most Curious Adventurers are interested in mountains, rural areas and cities. They are open to travelling Alberta in all seasons but are most interested in summer.
Online presence
Curious Adventurers are heavy social media users but don’t post regularly. They are avid listeners of podcasts and music streaming sites, and regularly read blogs. They actively avoid advertising on social media.
Shopping habits
Curious Adventurers are online shoppers, actively looking for opportunities to learn. Spend more on camping, outdoor excursions, home entertainment and technology.
Behaviours
Curious Adventurers are interested in learning more deeply about destinations and activities. They tend to spend longer reading informational content but are pickier about which ads they engage with.
News media
Curious Adventurers trust local news sources including CTV and Global networks. For international news they look to sites with global reach such as MSN.
Needs
“It comes down to what do we go away for. For me, I want to be culturally stimulated. I want to go away learning something. My mind has to be stimulated.”
Hotspot Hunters
For Hotspot Hunters, travel is about achievement and accomplishments. They want to visit the top attractions, take part in one-of-a-kind experiences, and connect with local experts. They’re driven to make the most of every minute, to fill their trips with as many stories and memories as possible–and they plan accordingly, leaving little to chance and even deprioritizing sleep.
Markets
Hotspot Hunters can be found around the globe. The recommended focus for Team Alberta is Alberta, Canada and the U.S.
Interests
Hotspot Hunters are most interested in mountains and cities. They are more open to winter travel.
Online Presence
Hotspot Hunters are heavy social media users, particularly Instagram and LinkedIn, posting and engaging regularly. More receptive to advertising on social.
Shopping habits
Hotspot Hunters are sports fans and avid investors. They spend more on high-profile activities like live concerts, museums and sporting events.
Planning
Hotspot Hunters use list-based and community-driven websites to build an action plan in advance of travelling. They find inspiration from image-focused sites like Instagram and Pinterest, turning to these channels to quench their wanderlust.
News media
Hotspot Hunters place a greater value on world news, trusting sources like CNN, BBC, Yahoo, the Globe and Mail and La Presse.
Needs
“If you’re gonna spend on a trip and you only have so many years in your life, you want to see what you want to see... what you should see... because you may never get back there.”
About this project
In 2019, Travel Alberta led a comprehensive stakeholder engagement and analysis exercise to identify the travellers that can help us achieve our goals: stimulate sustainable growth and increase industry profitability across the province. Working to enhance the findings of Destination Canada’s Explorer Quotient™(EQ), which links traveller psychographics with their travel preferences, Alberta’s Ultimate Traveller personas go deeper into the audience to understand individual motivators and attitudes to enable more focused targeting. These personas identify future travellers that represent the greatest economic potential across the province matching travellers interests and expectations with the experiences we have to offer.
Alberta's Ultimate Traveller Playbook
In this playbook, you'll find the tools and guidance you need to craft messaging that appeals to both Curious Adventurers and Hotspot Hunters.