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Canada’s premier food corridor

Lethbridge to Medicine Hat: Unmatched farm-to-table flavours

Visitors can connect to place and plate in the welcoming southern plains of Lethbridge to Medicine Hat. Award-winning culinary experiences serve up local flavours, from legendary ale trails to private dinners to food festivals.

Beyond food tourism, the region offers excellent opportunities for competitive sports hosting, cycling infrastructure, and arts and culture. Investing in existing assets and adding to them will enrich local community life, providing thousands of jobs to residents.

Explore the zone’s key projects

At a glance

Location: Southern Alberta
Key communities: Lethbridge, Medicine Hat
Projected visitor spend: $722M by 2035*
GDP: $524M by 2035*
Jobs: 3,535 by 2035*

Tourism Lethbridge
Tourism Medicine Hat
Visit Taber

*With investment

A graphic map shows the TDZ corridor between Lethbridge and Medicine Hat within southern Alberta.

Resident sentiment toward tourism is high

78% of Lethbridge to Medicine Hat residents say that tourism is important to the local community.

Discover resident perspectives
Demand drivers

High demand for key activities

Highly engaged international travellers are already planning trips to Alberta—but the Lethbridge to Medicine Hat region needs more boutique accommodations and to build on the momentum of existing agriculture and culinary experiences to fully meet that demand. These additions can anchor year-round itineraries and drive sustained tourism growth.

Couple eating lunch next to a colourful street art-inspired mural on a restaurant patio.
Culinary Farm-to-Table
A young couple rafting on the Oldman River under a bridge near Lethbridge.
Soft Adventures
Boutique Accommodations

Developing Alberta Tourism

Key Projects

Travel Alberta helps local tourism grow by facilitating the development of projects that will attract overnight visitors throughout the year. We work closely with local communities to remove barriers to development, provide business coaching to help operators grow and prosper, and invest to accelerate the development of four-season accommodations and experiences that will drive meaningful economic impact and job creation.

A couple sits outside a Japanese-style building with colourful Christmas lights on trees and plants around them.

Nikka Yuko Japanese Gardens, Lethbridge

A 360° projection dome for interactive art and cultural presentations at the garden. Travellers can immerse themselves in this artful 3.25 acre symbol of international friendship.

Two visitors explore an exhibit on local industry at the Galt Museum.

Friends of the Galt, Lethbridge

Facilities upgrades and expansion of programming to become a year-round destination. Overlooking the Oldman River Valley, this museum and archive celebrates the history of Southwest Alberta and Lethbridge.

Friends look at the menu in a restaurant in Medicine Hat.

Savour Alberta’s South

Showcasing the authentic taste and sense of place of Southern Alberta through its farms, makers, and memorable culinary experience. The initiative offers three curated itineraries that give visitors a taste of the region’s rich culinary heritage.

Two relay riders thunder toward the exchange zone, where teammates stand ready.

Indian Relay Racing, Medicine Hat

A two-day celebration of Indigenous culture and horsemanship that drew 3,500 spectators and boosted local tourism. Riders race bareback around the track, vaulting from one horse to the next in rapid exchanges.

Couple enjoying a flight of beer at Travois Ale Works in Medicine Hat.

Highway 3 Ale Trail

Craft beer meets stunning prairie landscapes on this innovative traveller itinerary, showcasing the true taste of place across Alberta’s agricultural heartland.

Why develop tourism

Investing in tourism helps make communities a better place to live, work, and visit.

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More revenues

Communities with strong visitor economies earn more municipal revenues per capita, which can be reinvested in the services and amenities that residents love.

Lower taxes

Residents pay lower residential property taxes in areas with strong visitor economies.

More jobs

More visitors create a steady customer base for local businesses, creating great jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities.

Discover more about the Lethbridge to Medicine Hat TDZ

This 2023 report informs and identifies specific actions Travel Alberta, the Government of Alberta and the TDZ communities should take to support the design of a comprehensive Destination Development Plan.

Download the discovery report (PDF)
Learn more about the area

Southern Alberta's gateway to Japan

Visitors to Lethbridge may be surprised to find a sprawling Japanese garden in the southeast corner of the city.

Read more
Learn more about the area

Five exciting tourism projects coming to Alberta in 2025

Discover how bold ideas and local passion are transforming Alberta’s tourism landscape with four exciting new experiences launching across the province this year.

Read more

Connect with our Destination & Commercial Development Manager

Learn how Travel Alberta can support your success in the Lethbridge to Medicine Hat region

Yvonne Chau

Yvonne Chau

Southern Rockies & Historic Plains