Tourism Works in Alberta

The annual Travel Alberta Industry Conference (TAIC) wrapped up on Tuesday, bringing the premier Alberta tourism marketing event to a close. As an “industry of industries,” tourism often takes a back seat to the resource sector in conversations about Alberta’s economic future. In fact, tourism is a key economic driver and diversifier, employing over one in ten people worldwide, and more than a hundred thousand in Alberta.
Annual tourism expenditures in Alberta exceed more than $8 billion, and Travel Alberta work, domestically and internationally, has contributed directly to that success.
The Minister of Culture and Tourism, Ricardo Miranda, was on-hand to personally welcome delegates and celebrate the importance of the tourism econo
“It was a wonderful opportunity to see the continued success of Alberta’s tourism sector, and being able to talk one-on-one with our tourism operators,” said Minister Miranda. “We are committed to growing the industry and maximizing the opportunities tourism creates in every region of the province. This conference provides the inspiration and initiatives to help do that.”
The CEO of Travel Alberta believes there is still untapped potential for tourism in Alberta.
“We have done amazing work together as Team Alberta,” said Royce Chwin, CEO, Travel Alberta. “Worldwide, tourism revenues exceed those of international trade. Here in Alberta, tourism contributes to a more diversified and sustainable economy. We work closely with our industry partners to create demand and showcase Alberta’s breathtaking experiences.”
2017 marked the 17th anniversary of the Travel Alberta Industry Conference, an event gathering the best and brightest in tourism from across the province to share ideas, trends and best practices to support an industry that has buoyed Alberta through an economic downturn, and is helping lead the way to recovery.
Highlights from the conference include:

• Hosting more than 600 tourism operators and advocates from the private sector, government, professionals and stakeholders playing a role in the growth and sustainability of Alberta’s tourism industry.
• 17th annual Alto Awards celebrating excellence in tourism hosted a sold-out crowd
• Every attendee at the conference is working together on a push to grow tourism revenues to $10 billion by 2020.

The Travel Alberta Annual Report, released Friday, demonstrates the successes of the industry and the organization in 2016-17.

About Travel Alberta

Travel Alberta is Alberta’s tourism marketing agency. We showcase Alberta tourism experiences to potential travellers across Canada and the world. Travel Alberta provides marketing expertise and destination development support to Alberta-based tourism businesses, creating compelling reasons for travellers to explore Alberta.
Established as a crown corporation in 2009, Travel Alberta is mandated to promote the province as a top tourism destination, and support the Government of Alberta in the development of tourism policy, advocacy, research, visitor services and product development.