GoMedia 2018 Brings International Attention and Economic Benefit to Calgary
CALGARY, Oct. 3, 2018 /CNW/ - From September 30 to October 3 Calgary is hosting GoMedia, Canada's annual signature travel media event at the Calgary TELUS Convention Centre. GoMedia takes place in a different city across Canada every year, and this year, Calgary is playing host.
Presented by Destination Canada and hosted in joint partnership between Tourism Calgary and Travel Alberta, GoMedia connects tourism industry partners with top travel media and influencers. International travel media coverage generated by GoMedia delegates is estimated to reach over 800 million travellers worldwide, creating more demand for Alberta in the international tourism marketplace.
"Tourism is an important contributor to our cities, provinces and country employing over 735,000 people nationwide," said David F. Goldstein, Destination Canada's President and CEO. "GoMedia supports the industry's growth by introducing travellers from around the world to the places, experiences and people that make Canada a top destination year round. We are thrilled to have Alberta and Calgary shine a spotlight on their unique stories as this year's GoMedia hosts."
The Calgary show features more than 150 travel media from 10 countries, engaging with 85 tourism industry leaders and 75 partner organizations and businesses.
"International travel media and influencers are key to our strategy to increase visitation to Alberta and grow our tourism industry to $10 billion by 2020," said Royce Chwin, CEO, Travel Alberta. "Media and influencers attending GoMedia will share their authentic Alberta experiences with millions of followers worldwide, promoting Alberta as a desirable destination to travel, work, learn and invest."
Tourism is a key economic driver and diversifier for Alberta. In 2016, visitors to Alberta contributed over $8.5 billion to the province's economy, supporting 19,000 operators and employing 127,000 people in all corners of the province.
"Tourism Calgary is proud to welcome GoMedia Marketplace delegates from around the globe to Calgary," said Cindy Ady, CEO, Tourism Calgary. "As the Ultimate Host City, Calgary welcomes over 6.9 million visitors who contribute $1.6 billion in visitor spending annually. Hosting events like GoMedia provides a unique opportunity to showcase Calgary's offerings, community spirit and hospitality to international audiences – generating even more profile, future visitation and gains for Calgary's visitor economy."
Travel Alberta and Tourism Calgary are hosting several pre- and post- event familiarization tours across the province, introducing visitors from around the world to everything Alberta has to offer. The hosts are taking every opportunity to ensure GoMedia delegates have the time of their lives during their stay.
About Travel Alberta
Travel Alberta is Alberta's destination promotion 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.
For more information about Travel Alberta, please see industry.travelalberta.com and follow us on Twitter at @TravelAlbertaCo.
About Tourism Calgary
Tourism Calgary is the official destination marketing and development organization for Calgary's tourism industry. For more than 50 years, the organization's primary purpose has been to promote Calgary and area as the destination of choice for leisure travellers. With a vision of making Calgary the ultimate host city, Tourism Calgary markets the city locally, nationally and internationally and advocates for its ongoing development as a destination. The organization hosts and attracts visitors and events and activates the city by fostering the growth of shareable, memorable experiences. Calgary's tourism industry contributes approximately $1.6 billion to the economy through welcoming 6.9 million visitors annually. For more information about Tourism Calgary, please see www.visitcalgary.com.
About Destination Canada
Destination Canada markets Canada internationally as a premier four-season tourism destination. In collaboration with partners in the Canadian tourism industry, Destination Canada creates marketing campaigns designed to showcase the best our country has to offer. Destination Canada also provides research and industry data to our partners—equipping them to optimize their businesses. For more information, please visit: www.destinationcanada.com, follow @DestinationCAN and @ExploreCanada on Twitter.
SOURCE Travel Alberta
Media Contacts: Danielle Vlemmiks, Director, Stakeholder Engagement and Communications, Travel Alberta, (c) 403-966-8903, (e) [email protected]; Cassandra McAuley, Executive Director, Stakeholder Engagement and Destination Development, Tourism Calgary, (c) 403-835-0711, (e) [email protected]
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